When I'm With You
by adorkable-oxo
Summary: From the moment Spencer first saw her he'd known without a doubt that she was perfect. Every minute spent with her is a minute spent falling further in love. When they discover that they're connected in a way neither had expected, will it ruin everything? Will their perfect bubble burst? Or will their love manage to overcome life's obstacles? (Spencer/OC, kind of fluffy and sweet)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first CM fic. I'm a huge Spencer Reid fan, so it will be very Reid-centric. Takes place pre-season 8. Reviews are greatly appreciated!  
****xox**

_Chapter One_

Mia Hale looked around with a satisfied smile, breathing deeply the scent of books, both old and new. Nothing made her happier than wall-to-wall shelves of books, and now she would be surrounded by them all day every day. She'd spent the past month dealing with lawyers, hashing out agreements, and signing papers, all while trying not to pull her hair out in frustration. It had all been worth it, though. She was now the proud new owner of The Nook, the most adorable little book store she'd ever seen. It was in one of DC's older neighbourhoods, and had all the charm of an old building—creaky wood floors, crown moulding, dim lighting, and a door with a little bell that jingled whenever someone went in or out. Overflowing bookshelves lined the walls and formed narrow aisles that stretched all the way to the back of the store, where, through an archway, her new office waited, crammed with even more books. At the front of the store sat a hand carved, mahogany counter, behind which sat a chair, an antique cash register, a debit machine (looking a bit out of place with all the antiques) and, of course, piles and piles of more books. Across from the counter, an old iron staircase spiralled up to the second floor, where there were more shelves, these ones laden entirely with used books, accompanied by squashy old armchairs, loveseats, and antique lamps. It could not be more perfect.

Mia flashed a bright smile at Alice, the employee who'd agreed to stay on after Mia took over, before climbing the spiral staircase towards the second floor. While she loved everything about her new shop, the second floor was definitely her favourite part. It was like a bookstore one would see in a movie, and it was all hers. Smiling softly, she moved slowly among the shelves, greeting customers happily and scanning the books as she went. As she made her way towards a shelf that housed the Bronte collection, she couldn't help but feel entirely at peace in what was quickly becoming her favourite place in the world. She'd recently returned to America following a three year stint teaching English overseas, and while she'd had the trip of a lifetime and would love to travel more in the future, she'd never felt more at home than she did in this tiny little bookshop.

About ten minutes later, she stood flipping through a gorgeous leather bound copy of Wuthering Heights with gold flourishes adorning the cover, smiling softly to herself. While she owned at least two copies of Wuthering Heights already, it was easily one of her favourites, and she was never opposed to adding multiples to her collection. The thought of her entire collection currently packed away in boxes in the living room of her new apartment had her putting the book back on the shelf and making a mental note to invest in some book shelves asap.

Wandering away from her beloved Bronte book, she glanced around, her eyes settling on a man who stood a couple aisles over, a dusty old book in hand. Something about him made her stop and, picking up a random book to hide behind, she gazed at him interestedly. He had longish, adorably messy hair, dark eyes behind a pair of horn rimmed glasses, and a strong, angular jaw line that had her insides suddenly tying themselves in knots. He wore a snug pair of dark jeans, with a cream coloured button down top and a red cardigan, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore a pair of blue Converse and had a brown messenger bag slung across his body. As she watched him, his eyes flew over the pages at an alarming rate, and he had barely turned a page before he was turning another. Mia was intrigued. Setting her book back down, she smoothed the front of her dark purple, gauzy dress, brushed a dark curl away from her eyes, and took a deep breath.

* * *

"You know," a very sweet voice said suddenly, "If you slow down a bit and actually read it, you may actually get more out of that book."

Spencer glanced up from the book he was reading and found the gorgeous girl he'd been trying to muster up the courage to approach smiling up at him. He felt his breath catch in throat at the sight of her so close. Her long dark curls tumbled about her bare shoulders, blue eyes glittered up at him brightly, and her petite body was perfected by a simple purple dress that seemed to make her eyes pop. She was unbelievably beautiful, and smelled intoxicatingly wonderful. After a moment of simply taking in every inch of her, he smiled shyly.

"Actually," he said, surprised at how steady his voice was, "I _am_ reading."

"At that speed?" She asked, arching her eyebrows incredulously. Adorably incredulously, Spencer couldn't help but notice. "Is that even possible?"

"The unconscious mind can process over eleven million bits of information per second," he explained, cringing inwardly at how geeky he sounded, "It just typically…chooses not to."

"So, hypothetically speaking, I could read that fast? If I tried?"

Spencer grinned. "I don't see why not."

The beautiful girl before him looked thoughtful for a minute, chewing her lower lip in a way that had butterflies stirring in Spencer's stomach. After a moment, she smirked. "Prove it."

"Prove what?"

"That you're actually reading this book," she said, taking the old book he'd been holding and glancing at the page he'd been reading last. He watched as she scanned the page quickly and then smiled up at him. "What's happening here?"

"Do you want a synopsis, or do you want word for word?"

"You can't do it word for word!"

The sound of her laugh made his head spin a little bit. He smiled stupidly at her and began reciting what he'd read last. She followed along in the book, her smile growing as he got further and further. After about a page and a half, she shut it with a snap and handed it back to him. He stopped reciting, feeling a slight blush creeping up his neck.

"That's incredible," she said, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "A talent like that would have come in handy in grad school."

"It did, as a matter of fact," Spencer agreed. "What did you major in?"

"English literature," she replied, "Mainly nineteenth century. You?"

"Math," Spencer said simply, choosing to leave the rest of his degrees out of the conversation for the time being. He'd found that women tended to get turned off when he came across as too intelligent. "I've always really enjoyed the arts, though."

Another breathtaking smile graced the beautiful girl's lips, and Spencer was suddenly oblivious to his surroundings, as if he had tunnel vision and she was the only one in sight. "I'm Mia, by the way," she said, "Mia Hale."

"Spencer Reid."

The two of them stood there talking for over an hour, and Spencer was embarrassingly delighted when she touched his arm seven times throughout their conversation. He wasn't overly experienced in the field of women, but he knew for a fact that repeated touching was a sign of flirtation, which was a sign of interest. She was easily the sweetest, most interesting woman he'd ever met, and he barely even knew her. Spencer was smitten by the time they decided to make their way over to the little coffee shop next door.

"Let me just grab my things and let Alice know I'm leaving for the day," she said over her shoulder as he followed her down the spiral staircase. "I'll just be a minute."

"You work here?"

"Not exactly," she smiled, "I actually own the place."

Gorgeous, sweet, intelligent, _and_ owned her own bookstore. Spencer couldn't have imagined a more perfect woman if he tried. He waited while she disappeared into an office at the back of the store, and watched as she emerged, carrying an oversized handbag and talking quietly with a pale, dark haired girl he could only assume was Alice. They chatted for a few moments before Mia smiled and, with a quick wave at the girl, made her way back over to him, smiling happily. Wondering vaguely if he'd ever not be blown away by her beauty, Spencer opened the door for her, followed her outside, and the two of them headed for the café next door.

While Mia went to lay claim on a small round table in a quiet, cozy little alcove, Spencer ordered two cups of coffee, somewhat dumfounded by his luck. While he waited for the coffee, he chanced a glance back at where Mia was waiting patiently, a small smile playing across her perfect lips. He'd been so dreading holidays, while the rest of the team would be out of town or with loved ones and he'd be holed up in his apartment with naught but his books and his thoughts to keep him company. Now, after a spur of the moment trip to his favourite bookstore, things were looking up.

"So, we seem to have only talked about me, and books," Mia said as he took a seat across from her, setting their coffees down between them. He watched with a smile as she added just as much sugar, if not more, to her coffee than he was about to add to his own. "Tell me about yourself. What do you do?"

"I, uh, work for the government," Spencer said before taking a long sip of his coffee. Things were going so well, and he wasn't ready to ruin it by admitting that he spent most of his time thinking like some of the worst criminals imaginable. "I enjoy what I do, for the most part, but it takes up a lot of my time."

There. That wasn't entirely a lie. In fact, it was the truth. He did find enjoyment in locking away the men and women he and the rest of the team worked so hard to catch, but it had certainly managed to take over most of his life. Until today, that hadn't really bothered him. Admittedly he did regret not having more time to visit his mother, but otherwise he was content focusing on his work. Now, despite having known her less than a few hours, he wanted to spend as much time as possible with Mia.

The two of them sat, sipping coffee and chatting, laughing, and getting to know each other, completely unaware of the world around them. When it came to talking to beautiful women, Spencer normally had a very difficult time stringing together a sentence that didn't involve some extremely geeky reference or nerdy fact, but with Mia he found himself being almost charming. Mia certainly seemed to be enjoying his company, judging by her body language, brilliant smile, and infectious laugh. Before either of them had even noticed, several hours had passed, and a café employee approached them to announce closing time.

"I can't believe we just spent _all day_ talking!" Mia laughed as they left the café. To Spencer's surprise, night had fallen, and it was quite a bit chillier than it had been when they'd first met. Wrapping her arms around herself as she shivered slightly, she smiled up at him. "I had a lot of fun today."

Spencer immediately shrugged out of his cardigan and offered it to Mia. Her smile grew slightly as she obligingly turned, allowing him to place it gently on her shoulders. She turned back to face him, pulling his sweater tightly around her shivering frame. "I had a good time, too," he said, wanting badly to kiss her, but not wanting to freak her out. "Which way is your apartment? I'll walk with you."

"Oh, don't worry," Mia shook her head, "It's a bit of a hike so I'm just going to call a cab."

"I can give you a ride, if you'd like," he offered without hesitation. "It'll save you from waiting in the cold…"

Mia thought for a moment, probably deciding whether or not she could trust an almost complete stranger enough to get into a vehicle with him. When she nodded, Spencer let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and led her to where he'd left his car. The ten minute drive to her apartment was spent chatting idly about BBC's Sherlock, a show they'd discovered they shared a mutual love for. When they arrived at her apartment, Mia handed him his cardigan and flashed one of her breathtaking smiles.

"I really enjoyed myself today," she said truthfully, "I'm very glad we met."

Before Spencer could register or process anything, she leaned over and pressed her lips against his in a quick kiss. Pulling away, she smiled softly, nibbling at her lower lip. Spencer watched as she opened the door, stepped out, and shut it again, not really coming to his senses until she'd waved and turned towards the building. Leaning across the passenger seat, which he was pleased to notice still smelled like her, he hastened to roll down the window.

"Mia!" He called, causing her to spin around. "Do you have plans for dinner tomorrow night?"

Mia beamed at him. "Not yet, no."

"Would you like to go to dinner with me?" He asked, his heart racing. "Say…seven o'clock?"

"I would love to," she replied happily. "I'll see you tomorrow, Spence."

Spencer watched as she continued on her way into the building, disappearing a moment later. He straightened up, grinning stupidly at the door she'd just passed through. Only one other person had ever referred to him as Spence before, and while he'd enjoyed it, and briefly entertained the idea of romantic feelings for his co-worker, it was safe to say her calling him Spence had never made him feel the way Mia's use of the name had. Butterflies he hadn't even known existed were fluttering around his stomach excitedly, his pulse racing, his mind an unfamiliar jumble of thoughts and emotions. Mia Hale had awoken something in him today, some unknown, secret desire, and he was certain he'd never think of anything or anyone else ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

__**A/N: I'm just so happy! I have so much fun writing this, and I'm so glad other people are enjoying it :) I just want to mention that while this will not be casefic, it is the first installment in a multi-part series, and the sequel _is_ a casefic (which I am super excited about!) Most of the chapters for When I'm With You are already written...I'm just tying up the lose ends, and then moving on to Part 2 :) **

**Enjoy!  
xox **

****[_Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. Unfortunately, I can take credit for nothing but Mia and the storyline._]

* * *

_Chapter Two_

"It's not a big deal. I could pack up today and be home by tonight."

Mia leaned against the counter with a sigh, rolling her eyes at an amused looking Alice. "Don't be silly. When do you ever take holidays? Don't cut them short on account of me. Besides, I'm _fine_," she told her brother for what felt like the millionth time. "Seriously. Enjoy your last few days of vacation."

"I don't like the idea of you being all alone in the city!"

"I was alone overseas for almost three years," Mia pointed out with a smile. "And you didn't insist on being with me then!"

"Believe me," her brother replied with a huff, "If I could have, I would have. I would have liked nothing more than to go over there and drag your ass back here. But you're back in the country now, and you don't even have any family around to help you get settled."

"I don't need help getting settled. Really, I'm ok."

Her brother was silent a moment, and Mia knew she'd nearly won. "I feel bad that I left town just after you got back. We barely even get to see each other!"

"I will see you Monday," she promised. "I'll come visit you at work first thing in the morning, and then we'll all go out for dinner in the evening."

"Fine," he conceded, and Mia breathed a sigh of relief. "You're sure you'll be ok on your own this weekend?"

"I won't be alone," Mia said, spotting Spencer hurrying across the street towards the store and smiling instantly. "I'll be busy with work, and Saturday night one of the girls here and some of the people from the café next door will be taking me out," she lied, not wanting her brother to know about the new guy in her life this early in the game. "Don't you worry about me."

A few moments later, Mia managed to get her brother off the phone, just in time for Spencer to walk in. She beamed at him, tossed her phone onto the counter, and hurried over to give him a quick kiss. While she'd only known him for a few days, and she wasn't typically one to fall too quickly, she couldn't help but feel happier whenever he was around. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in warmth and the delectable scent of his aftershave.

"Ready for lunch?" He asked when they pulled apart. "Indian still ok?"

Mia nodded. "Can't wait," she said with a big smile. "Unfortunately, though, I have to come back here for a few hours after lunch. I know we were supposed to hang out this afternoon, but it was pretty busy this morning so I didn't get a chance to do anything with the stack of paperwork waiting in my office."

"No problem," Spencer replied, "Maybe I'll come back and read while you work."

"You would do that?" Mia asked, trying to keep from sounding too hopeful. "Just sit around and wait while I work?"

She was elated when he didn't even hesitate. "Of course," he smiled. "That way we're still spending the afternoon together."

"That sounds great," she said after giving him a quick kiss. "Maybe when I'm done we can grab some takeout and go have that movie marathon we were talking about?"

Spencer grinned. "Sounds perfect."

Suddenly bursting with excitement, Mia kissed him yet again. "Ok," she said happily, "I'll grab my purse and we can go for lunch."

"You guys are too cute," Alice commented quietly when Mia came back to the counter, leaving Spencer by the door. "It almost makes me want to puke."

Mia stuck her tongue out at the girl who was quickly becoming a good friend. "Shut it, missy, or you'll be tackling that stack of paperwork your old boss left me," she warned with a smile. "Now. Spence and I are going for lunch…do you want me to bring you anything?"

"Actually, yes," she replied, a very serious expression on her pale, pointed face. "See if you can find me a one of a kind, totally adorable, completely perfect man who's as head over heels for me as that one is for you."

"I'll do what I can," Mia laughed, glancing appreciatively over at Spencer, who was waiting patiently by the door. "But on the off chance they're all out?"

Alice shrugged. "Maybe a salad?"

Nodding with a bright smile, Mia turned and returned to Spencer's side. He smiled down at her as he pulled the door open, waved at Alice, and stepped outside. Mia automatically slipped her hand into Spencer's, lacing her fingers with his, loving the delightful fluttery feeling she got in her stomach when his fingers tightened around hers. As they walked down the street towards an Indian place Spencer swore by, Mia marvelled at how unbelievably happy and at peace she felt. She'd never really been one for relationships, and undoubtedly had trust issues, but something about Spencer Reid just felt…_right_.

* * *

Spencer sat in the overstuffed armchair in the corner of Mia's dimly lit office, his open book lying forgotten next to him. Mia sat behind a large mahogany desk a few feet away, concentrating on the stack of papers before her. He was mesmerized by the way her grey top kept slipping down her left shoulder, revealing her fair skin adorned with a light dusting of freckles. Her long, dark hair tumbled about her face in big curls, and the way she chewed on her lower lip as she read had his stomach tying itself in weird little knots. When she suddenly looked up at him, a smile reaching her big blue eyes, he was almost certain his heart stopped.

"You're not reading."

"Uh, no," he glanced quickly at the book he hadn't been able to focus on, "I'm not."

"If you've finished that one," she said lightly, "I have a few hundred other books lying around."

Spencer chuckled. "I think I'm good," he replied. "I actually prefer…this."

"Watching me work?"

"Yeah," he shrugged, "It's much more enjoyable than Proust."

A light pink blush coloured Mia's cheeks. Smiling softly, she returned to her paperwork. Spencer took a deep breath and went back to his book. When he'd read the same line a half a dozen times, he gave up and shut it with a snap. His eyes travelled back over to the gorgeous girl who, in less than seventy two hours, had become such an important part of his life. They'd spent the majority of the past three days together, and he had yet to learn something about her that he didn't like. He knew she'd graduated with a MA in English Literature, was terrified of spiders and heights, loved animals, had two older brothers and a nephew whom she adored, and had a number of geeky obsessions like BBC's Sherlock and, to his delight, Star Wars.

"I give up," she said suddenly, setting her papers down and getting to her feet. Spencer watched with interest as she rounded the desk and crossed the little office, coming to a stop in front of him. "Wanna makeout?"

Spencer laughed aloud at her forwardness while nodding enthusiastically. Mia smiled wickedly and took the book from his hands, tossing it gently towards the matching armchair a few feet away, before pushing him back in his seat and, to his immense pleasure, straddling him. His heartbeat quickened when she leaned in and kissed him, gently at first, but deepening it within seconds. It wasn't long before her hands were tangled in his hair—something he found incredibly arousing, to his genuine surprise—and his hands were skimming her curves appreciatively. He was vaguely aware of the fact that they were in an unlocked office and someone could walk in at any moment, but, for some reason he couldn't quite explain, it just made it all the more exciting.

"Mmmm," Mia sighed against his lips, pulling away ever so slightly after several moments. "I feel like I'm in high school again."

Feeling somewhat disoriented, Spencer wasn't entire sure he'd heard her correctly. "High school?"

Mia nodded. "You make me want to act like a silly little teenager."

Shifting slightly so he could see her face, Spencer frowned. "I don't understand."

The quizzical look she gave him was adorable, and Spencer was tempted to drop it and go back to kissing her without clarification. "For real? What part don't you understand?"

"All of it," he replied honestly. "How does kissing me in your office remind you of being in high school? What does acting like a silly little teenager entail?"

"One of the best parts of being a teenager is the steamy, inappropriate makeout sessions," Mia explained, playing with his hair absently. "You know, the ones where you could be caught at any minute? When you just can't get enough of each other and it's all passion and heat and kissing and fun?"

Spencer shook his head. "I didn't really date in high school," he told her vaguely, leaving out the fact that he graduated at the age of twelve. "Or in college, for that matter. I guess I missed out."

A brief flash of sadness passed across Mia's face, but was quickly replaced with a sexy little smirk as she brushed his hair back, leaning in close again. "I guess I'm just gonna have to show you what it's all about."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Enjoy :) **

_Chapter Three_

"It's really not fair, Mia."

"What, like it's my fault?"

"Well I just don't understand it."

"I can't explain it! It just happened."

"Makes no sense. I've been working here for, like, _three years_ and nothing. You're here three days and you meet the perfect man?!"

Mia smiled softly. "He is pretty perfect, isn't he?"

Alice rolled her eyes with a smirk and went back to her work. The butterflies in Mia's stomach fluttered excitedly as she double checked everything she'd prepared for her date with Spencer. The two of them were going out for the fifth day in a row, and she'd planned a romantic little picnic in the park for him after finding out he'd never been on one. She'd woken up extra early in the morning to get some sandwiches and salads from a nearby deli, some fresh cheese, handmade chocolate, and a few apples and peaches from an outdoor farmers' market, and a nice bottle of wine from a shop she'd found a recommendation for online. Despite her grumbling—which Mia knew was all in fun—Alice had loaned her a big red and white checked blanket as well as an adorable wicker basket that included dishes, flatware, and a pair of wine glasses.

In honour of her wonderfully romantic date with the adorable Spencer Reid, Mia had worn a short, flirty blue and white striped sundress cinched at the waist by a braided brown belt, a pair of red flats, and a light denim jacket. Her dark hair fell about her shoulders in lose waves and she wore only a bit of lip balm and mascara for makeup. She felt cute and confident, and was beyond excited to go out with the man who was quickly becoming her favourite person. They hadn't even known each other a week and already any minute spent without him was a minute too long.

When the bell above the door jingled, Mia spun around and felt her heart skip a beat in the most cliché way. Spencer grinned, gazing at her appreciatively behind a pair of dark sunglasses. He wore a simple pair of jeans, a grey striped t-shirt, and his favourite pair of blue Converse. In the short time they'd known each other, she hadn't seen him without a cardigan, or his messenger bag slung across his body. While she loved his typical, slightly geeky attire, she quite liked the casual look, too. Removing his sunglasses, revealing the dark eyes she loved so much, he crossed the short distance between the door and the counter in a few steps. Mia was certain she'd died and gone to heaven when he pulled her into a sweet, gentle kiss.

"You look great," he said quietly, gazing down at her in a way that had her heart racing. "Is that my surprise? Cause I like it."

Mia laughed softly. "You're too sweet," she said, feeling herself blush. "But no, that's not your surprise. I thought we could have a little picnic today."

Spencer glanced at the basket and blanket she motioned towards and his smile grew. "Really?" He asked, the excitement evident on his face. "And you think I'm the sweet one!"

Taking her by surprise, he leaned down and kissed her again. In the short time that they'd known each other, he seemed to have come out of his shell a little bit. When he initiated public displays of affection, Mia found herself indescribably happy. Smiling widely, pleased by his almost childlike excitement, she watched him carry the picnic supplies out to the car before turning to Alice. When her friend had assured her yet again that she was fine being left on her own for the afternoon, Mia thanked her, said goodbye, and hurried out the door. A bright warm sun and beautiful clear blue sky greeted her. The weather could not have been better, the company was adorable, and the day was sure to be amazing. Everything was perfect, and Mia couldn't remember ever being more excited for a day at the park.

* * *

"This is my favourite part."

Mia smiled softly as she gazed up at the fluffy white clouds lazily drifting by, her head resting on Spencer's chest. "Really? Why?"

"It's just…nice," he replied, playing with her hair absentmindedly. "I mean, the food was great, and it's such a nice day, but lying here…with you…it's definitely the best part."

Shifting so she was on her stomach, Mia pushed herself up on her forearms and gazed down at the man for whom she was developing feelings for at an almost alarming rate. She smiled down at him happily before planting a quick kiss on his lips. "This is my favourite part, too."

Before she could pull away, Spencer put a hand on the back of her head and brought her back down for a longer, deeper kiss. Sighing happily, Mia sunk down, allowing him to wrap his arms around her tightly. In no time at all her hands were tangled in his thick hair, while his were skimming her curves appreciatively. Mia was so into it, so blissfully happy, that it didn't even register that they were lying in a very public place, having a very steamy makeout session. When the overwhelming desire to unbutton Spencer's shirt struck her, she very reluctantly pulled away, not wanting things to get too far.

Spencer presumably had similar thoughts and didn't resist too much when she sat up, neatening her hair and straightening her dress with a small smile. He continued to lay there, his breathing slightly ragged, his dark eyes following her every move. Mia brushed a lock of his hair out of his eyes, fighting a very serious urge to fall back into his arms and kiss every inch of him. He grinned an adorable, lopsided grin, and her heart fluttered excitedly.

"I know I've never been on a picnic before today," he said quietly, "But I'm pretty sure this has been the best one ever."

Mia laughed softly, pressed another quick kiss on his lips, and reached for the wine. Spencer obligingly sat up and took one of the glasses she held. He leaned up against the tree next to their blanket and, after forcing the cork back into the wine bottle, Mia moved to sit next to him, smiling as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Taking a sip of her wine, she melted into him, resting her head on his shoulder happily. He wasn't far off, she decided. It really _had _been the best picnic ever. The weather could not have been more perfect, the food was delicious, and, with the sun setting in the distance, it was easily one of the most romantic dates she'd ever had.

A few short hours later, Mia turned to face Spencer as he pulled up outside her building. "What are you doing tomorrow evening?"

"I have no plans," Spencer replied, "As far as I know."

"Ok. Feel free to say no," she said quickly, "But I promised an old family friend I'd go to this charity dinner and dance thing, and I have an extra ticket. It was supposed to be for one of my brothers, but one's out of town until Sunday, and the other couldn't get the time off work. It's probably going to be really long and boring, and there will be a bunch of snooty old rich people there, but the food might be good, and I'll be wearing a really great dress—"

"I'm in."

Mia eyed him for a moment before smiling softly. "Really? It'll be super lame…"

"You'll be there, right?"

Mia laughed. "Of course I will be."

"Then I'm in."

* * *

Spencer glanced at his watch for the umpteenth time, pulling at his tie nervously. He'd only been waiting for five minutes, but the longer he sat in the quiet lobby, the more nervous he got. He tried telling himself that there was no point in being nervous, that they'd gone out every day for nearly a week, but it was to no avail. Apparently a date that involved a black tie event brought with it a lot more pressure than a day at the park. The thought of the park made him smile, temporarily calming his jittery nerves. He couldn't quite figure out how this beautiful girl had so quickly become such a big part of his life, but he was very glad that she had.

At the sound of heels on the old wooden staircase, Spencer glanced up and immediately was at a loss for words. Mia was gliding towards him in a simple, sleeveless black dress that went to just above her knees and hugged her curves in the most mouth-watering way imaginable. As she neared him, she did a graceful little spin, and his breath caught in his throat when he realized there was no back to the dress. He'd never really considered the back of a woman as especially attractive, but suddenly it was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. With the dress she wore pair of shiny red high heels that made her legs seem to go on for miles. Her hair was down and curly and pinned to one side, her blue eyes were perfected with a small amount of dark eyeliner, and the lips he loved to kiss so much glistened appetizingly.

"What do you think?" She asked as she came to a stop before him. "Do I look ok?"

Spencer had to swallow a few times before he could even attempt to respond. "Amazing," he managed. "You look…amazing."

Mia smiled and kissed him, forced to stand on tiptoe despite her heels. He placed both hands on her back, deepening the kiss and loving the feel of her bare skin beneath his fingers. They kissed for a few moments before reluctantly parting and, hand in hand, heading outside. The entire drive to the event Spencer could think of nothing but Mia and her dress, and how badly he wanted to take it off her. By the time they arrived at their destination, he was completely certain he wouldn't make it through the evening.

Despite Mia's warnings that the evening would be stuffy and boring, Spencer found that he was enjoying himself immensely. They'd been seated at a table with a few very friendly, very funny older couples, and spent the evening getting showered with compliments on how adorable and young and delightful they both were. Dinner was delicious, and dessert was even better. There was a brief period of speeches, during which the head of the organization thanked everyone for attending, and then the bar opened and the music started. Before he knew it, Spencer was being led out onto the dance floor by an ever so slightly tipsy Mia.

"I really don't know how to dance," he insisted, smiling despite himself. "You're just going to laugh!"

"Nonsense," Mia giggled, glancing back at him with a smile. "It's easy. I'll show you."

When they reached the center of the dance floor, Mia turned to face him, placing the hand she'd been grasping on her lower back. She placed one of her own hands on his shoulder, and took his free hand in hers. Smiling up at him, she started moving in a slow, circular motion, and Spencer was surprised to find that it wasn't all that difficult to keep up. After a few songs, Mia released his hand and draped her arms around his neck and, following suit, he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close. He'd always imagined he'd hate dancing, but here, right now, with the most beautiful woman he'd ever known in his arms, he couldn't imagine anything he'd rather be doing.

Until Mia reached up and kissed him.

Suddenly it didn't matter that they were in the middle of a dance floor, in an overly crowded ballroom; all Spencer could think of was getting her out of the dress. He'd never had such animalistic desires before—not even during his brief stint with Lila. With Mia, however, it was like he became an entirely different person the moment their lips met. It took every ounce of will power he had not to undress her right then and there. Judging by her hands moving from his shoulders to his chest, sliding beneath his jacket and fiddling with the buttons on his shirt, Mia was having similar desires.

"What do you say we get out of here?" Mia asked breathily, sending excited chills throughout Spencer's body. "Maybe head back to my place?"

Spencer didn't need any further encouragement. Taking her by the hand he led her over to their table so she could grab her little purse, and then they hurried out to the valet parker to retrieve his Volvo. The drive back to her apartment building seemed to take twice as long as it should have, despite Spencer breaking every traffic law he could without getting caught. By the time they stumbled through the door to her room, he could barely think straight. All he was aware of was the gorgeous girl who was working quickly to remove his shirt and tie, the dress he'd been waiting all evening to remove from her body, and the enormous bed awaiting them.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Loving the feedback! Keep it coming :) This is a pretty short chapter...kinda silly and fun. I enjoy it hah. Spoiler alert: the team makes their debut next chapter! :)  
xox**

_Chapter Four_

**Pretty boy. Sup? **

Spencer knew Morgan was texting him on behalf of Garcia, who had texted the previous day to see how his vacation was going. He'd been with Mia, so hadn't been too responsive, which probably caused Garcia a bit of unnecessary alarm. It seemed his team members didn't like the idea of him being alone. Little did they know, however, not only was he not alone, but he was happier than he'd been in ages. He glanced to his left, where Mia lay sleeping soundly, a soft smile playing across her lips. They'd spent the past two nights together and, as Mia's bookstore didn't open on Sundays, had plans to spend the entire last day of his holidays holed up in her apartment.

**Don't worry about me. All good. See you tomorrow.**

When his reply was sent, Spencer shut his phone off, set it on the bedside table, and slid out of bed, careful not to disturb Mia. He quietly pulled on the pyjama pants he'd picked up from his apartment the day before, and then tiptoed out into the kitchen. He caught a glimpse of the living room on his way past, noticing with amusement that, although she'd lived in the apartment a couple weeks already, Mia had barely begun to unpack. Maybe later in the day he'd be a gentleman and offer to help her. Or maybe he'd be a—what did Morgan call it? A dog?—and insist they stay in bed all day. The thought made him smile.

"Whatchya doing?"

Spencer glanced over his shoulder and found Mia standing in the doorway, wearing nothing but his button down top from the day before. Her long dark hair fell about her shoulders in messy curls, her blue eyes sparkled at him brightly, and she had a sleepy, satisfied little smile that stirred some smug, masculine feeling within him.

"I was going to make coffee," he replied, turning around to face her fully, "And bring it to you in bed."

Mia crossed the kitchen and, standing on tiptoe, kissed him gently. "That's very sweet," she said, "Should I go back to bed so you can pretend to surprise me?"

"First, tell me where to find the coffee," he laughed, "And then go back to bed."

Mia pointed out everything he'd need to make coffee, kissed him again, and then headed back to her bedroom. Spencer watched her go, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of his shirt just barely covering her backside. After a moment he went back to the task at hand, somewhat surprised at his own animalistic desires. Mia brought out a side of him that he hadn't known existed, and he was quite grateful that she had.

"Aww, you made coffee!" Mia crooned when he walked into the bedroom, two steaming cups of coffee in hand. "How sweet and entirely unexpected!"

Spencer laughed as he handed her a mug. She smiled at him sweetly and took a long sip, sighing appreciatively. When he was back in bed, leaning up against the headboard, Mia slid closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Spencer pressed a quick kiss atop her head, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He couldn't remember ever feeling so relaxed, so completely at peace, so perfectly content.

"What do you want to do today?" Mia asked after a few moments. "Star Wars marathon? Maybe a Star Wars marathon…in bed?"

Spencer felt his eyes go wide. "That…uh…" he stammered, cringing at how pathetically tongue tied he sounded. He paused and took a breath. "Could you be any more amazing?"

Mia's giggle made him smile. The two of them sat in bed for a while, drinking coffee and chatting idly, simply enjoying each other's company. When their coffee was done, they moved to the kitchen, where Spencer sat at the island while Mia prepared some French toast. As he watched her dance around the kitchen, tossing ingredients into a bowl and humming happily to herself, Spencer was borderline ashamed to admit that he got excited every time she reached for something, causing her shirt to rise. She had him so distracted that, when she set a bowl of strawberries and a knife in front of him, she had to say his name three times before he came to his senses.

"You plan on sticking around DC for a while, right?" He asked a few minutes later, watching her drop some sopping pieces of bread onto a hot skillet. "Which is why you bought a bookstore?"

Mia turned and gave him a curious look. "Yes," she said slowly, "Why?"

"I'm just curious," he shrugged, carefully chopping a strawberry into four, "If you plan on unpacking all those boxes at some point."

"Eventually," she laughed, turning back to the French toast. "Most of the boxes in the living room are books…and because my last place had shelves built in, I need to get some bookshelves before I can unpack. And the rest of the stuff is pictures and knick knacks and stuff, and my brother feels bad for not being here to help me move in so he plans on coming over this week to help unpack. Figured I should leave him something to do."

Spencer nodded. "Are you looking forward to seeing him tomorrow?"

"Kind of," she replied, taking the freshly chopped strawberries and setting a plate down before him. "I mean, we haven't seen a lot of each other over the past few years, so I miss him. But he's going to flip when he finds out about the bookstore…so I'm kind of dreading that."

"You don't think he'll like it?"

"Oh, no, he'll like it just fine," she assured him, smiling ruefully as she slid a few pieces of French toast onto his place. "What he won't like, however, is that I've chosen to buy a bookstore instead of going back to school."

"You have a Master's Degree."

"If you knew my brother, you'd know that that's just not good enough," Mia said as she settled in next to him. Spencer said nothing, choosing instead to dig into some of the most amazing French toast he'd ever tried. "What's your favourite colour?"

He frowned slightly as he chewed. "I don't have one. Why?"

"Just curious," Mia said with a smile. "Do you have a favourite movie?"

"Umm…I don't know," he said thoughtfully. "I enjoy Star Wars…but prefer the third through fifth. I'm a pretty big fan of horror flicks. What's with the questions?"

"I'm getting to know you!"

"Well what about you?" He asked, taking a sip of orange juice. "Favourite colour? Movie?"

"Purple," she said simply, "And Life is Beautiful. Biggest fear?"

Spencer chewed his breakfast slowly, trying to decide which answer to give. Should he admit that he, a grown man, was afraid of the dark? Or should he potentially make things awkward by admitting that he was terrified that, someday, he'd end up like his paranoid schizophrenic mother? Mia was watching him closely, and he knew she expected an answer of some sort.

"The dark," he said with a smile, choosing to go with the slightly embarrassing, less heavy answer and hoping she assumed he was joking. Mia simply smiled softly. "What about you?"

"Elevators," she answered without hesitation. "But before you make fun of me, you should know that there are, like, six elevator related deaths per year, and approximately ten _thousand _injuries that require hospitalization! So it's a legitimate fear."

Spencer gazed at her, completely speechless. He was completely certain that, in the future, should anyone ever ask when he knew he was in love with her he'd look back to this very moment. Mia was gorgeous, funny, and beyond sweet, but it was her casual use of statistics that suddenly had him floored. He distinctly remembered the day he'd quoted the very same figures for Morgan when they'd had issues in an elevator, and in return he'd received the typical raised eyebrow and head shake. Mia quoting the statistic, however, had him convinced that he'd somehow found the perfect woman. While they ate breakfast, learning random facts about each other, he found himself dreading the following morning, when he'd have to leave this perfect little bubble they'd formed and return to the BAU. If possible, he was dreading returning to work even more than he'd initially dreaded the week of holidays.

* * *

"You cheated!"

"I did no such thing!"

"Oh, so you always wear three shirts underneath your sweater in the middle of August?!"

Mia gave Spencer a cheeky smile. "First of all, it's the _end_ of August, so it's getting chillier!" She insisted, moving her focus to the chessboard between them. "Second of all, you don't think I've noticed that you're a bit of a genius? I had to come prepared!"

The fully clothed Spencer shook his head in amusement at her as she tried to decide on her next move. When they'd decided to spice up the game of chess by making it strip chess, she'd left him to set up the board while she snuck into her room and threw on some extra layers, certain she was about to lose. Just as she'd suspected, Spencer seemed to know her every move before she made it, and had only had to lose his mismatched socks so far. She'd always considered herself relatively good at the game, but playing against Spencer made her look like a beginner. Despite her layers, within a few moves Spencer had taken her queen and managed to get a checkmate, and while he was still in a t-shirt and jeans, Mia was wearing nothing but her undergarments.

"That was hardly fair," she teased, getting to her feet slowly, enjoying the feel of Spencer's eyes on her. "You should have warned me that I didn't have a chance."

"You had a chance," he argued with a small smile, "Just not a very good one."

Laughing softly, Mia gave him a little come hither look before turning and walking slowly towards her bedroom. He caught up to her at the door, slipping his arms around her from behind and kissing her neck. Mia smiled and turned in his arms, loving the hungry gleam in his dark brown eyes. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him deeply, running her hands through his hair. While she wasn't looking forward to telling her brother about her newly purchased bookstore, she was absolutely dreading the end of Spencer's holidays. She'd come to the decision today that, while the thought vaguely terrified her, Spencer could very well be the real deal. She could see herself being with him long term, which was a big first for her. She was going to miss spending every minute with him. They only had a few hours of holidays left, and she intended on making the best of them.

"Speaking of hardly fair," she murmured against his lips, "You're still dressed."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Ahh! Meant to have this out yesterday, but it was a long weekend so I went out of town. Sorry it's late! It's one of my fav chapters I think. Kind of has a different tone than the previous ones. Hope y'all enjoy! :)  
xox**

_Chapter Five_

**I hate your job for stealing you from me. Have a good day xox**

Spencer smiled at his phone as he absentmindedly handed the barista his money. He'd left Mia's apartment barely two hours ago, and already he missed her. She'd spent a solid half hour trying to convince him to simply not show up to work, and he'd been sorely tempted to fall back into bed with her and deal with the repercussions later. In the end, however, he'd pointed out that she had plans to see her brother and spend the day with her nephew, and she'd reluctantly allowed him to leave.

**Not a fan of it, either. Have fun with your nephew. See you tonight?**

Nodding his thanks at the barista, he accepted his coffee and headed for the bureau. While he was upset that his holidays were over, thus ending his perfect week with Mia, he'd never felt so refreshed and ready to face whatever the world had to throw at him. He was somewhat worried that the team members would notice, grill him, and discover that he had a new relationship—something he wasn't ready to share with anyone else just yet. The moment his team found out about them was the moment they started getting involved, and he hadn't had nearly enough time alone with Mia.

**Yes please! I'll call you when I'm done having dinner with my brother :) **

Grinning stupidly, Spencer sent a quick reply saying he looked forward to it, and then slipped his phone into his messenger bag. As he jogged up the stairs to the BAU, he struggled to supress his emotions, feigning what he hoped was a neutral expression to avoid any unwanted questions from the team. Pausing as he reached the office, he forced the thought of Mia from his mind, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

"Morning, Reid!"

Spencer smiled at Rossi in response as he walked towards his desk. About halfway across the bullpen he noticed Morgan, Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia crowded around Morgan's desk, all four of them gazing intently up at Hotch's office. Spencer frowned and stared at the closed door for a few moments, trying to see what they all saw. Learning nothing, he turned to the group.

"What's going on?"

"Hotch has a girl up there," Emily said in a hushed voice, her eyes not leaving the office door.

Spencer's frown deepened. "Beth?"

"Nah," Morgan shook his head, "Some pretty little thing half his age."

"That seems...unlike him."

Garcia glanced at him with a serious nod. "What's more unlike him is how many times he's laughed since she got here!"

Spencer glanced at Rossi, the only one who seemed uninterested in what everyone else was obsessing over. Rossi grinned at him. Thoroughly confused, but not nearly as nosy as his friends, Spencer continued towards his desk. He set his coffee down and slung his bag over the back of his chair, shrugged out of his sweater, and took a seat. He glanced briefly at his phone, smiling again despite his best efforts—but confident no one noticed, as they were all so focused on Hotch's mystery woman—and then began to shuffle through the paperwork that awaited him.

When the door to the upstairs office opened suddenly a few moments later the team immediately scattered. Spencer shook his head and Rossi guffawed loudly as Morgan bent over his desk, pretending to be busy reading a blank piece of paper, Garcia busied herself with her nails, and JJ and Emily hurried off inconspicuously. Even Hotch chuckled as he started down the steps into the bullpen.

"You know," he said, sounding amused, "For a group of well-trained FBI agents, your eavesdropping skills are kind of lacking."

"They think you're having some sort of fling," Rossi announced as the team sheepishly grouped around Morgan's desk once more. "With someone half your age, no less."

Again, Hotch chuckled. Spencer frowned at the paper he was scanning. He could count on one hand how many times he'd heard Hotch laugh numerous times in a single conversation. Setting the piece of paper down, he glanced up at his boss, and immediately Aaron Hotchner was the last thing on his mind. To his shock, and immense confusion, standing next to Hotch, looking, if possible, even more gorgeous than she had that morning, was his beautiful Mia Hale.

"Well, let's just clear that up," Hotch said with a small smirk. "Everyone, meet my sister, Amelia."

Mia smiled, placing a hand on Hotch's arm. "He means _Mia_," she corrected. "Our grandmother's name was Amelia. I'm Mia."

"The elusive littlest Hotchner!" Morgan said, eyeing Mia in a way that had Spencer feeling uncharacteristically jealous. "I thought we'd never get the pleasure."

"Mia, meet Derek Morgan," Hotch said, giving him a warning look. "Beside him are Emily Prentiss and Jennifer Jareau. You know Dave, obviously."

"Of course," she said, surprising Spencer even more by stepping forward to hug Rossi tightly. "It's been ages."

"I hear you had a brief stint in Italy last year," Rossi commented. "Did you make it out to the Rossi Vineyard?"

"I did," Mia said slowly, suddenly catching sight of Spencer. She gave him an inquisitive frown before stepping back and smiling up at Rossi. "Your family was delightful. They miss you…made me promise I'd guilt you a little bit."

Rossi laughed. "My sending you there was my way of visiting."

"This is Penelope Garcia, our technical analyst and jack of all trades," Hotch continued when Mia returned to his side. "And over there is our resident genius, Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Doctor," Mia repeated, gazing across the room at him coolly. "That's impressive."

Spencer shrugged and forced a small smile. Mia looked away.

"Well," she said, gazing around at the rest of the team with a smile that didn't quite make it to Spencer, "I should get going. Knowing my big brother, now that holidays are over you all have a _lot_ of work to catch up on."

Everyone but Spencer laughed. "You make it sound like I'm some sort of hardass," Hotch joked, eliciting another round of laughter.

"It was really nice meeting all of you," Mia said happily before turning to her brother. "I will see you at dinner tonight, yes?"

"Yes," Hotch nodded, giving her a brief hug. "I'll call Jessica and let her know you'll be picking Jack up today."

"Do it soon. I have a very fun day planned for us," she said sweetly. "Have a good day!"

With a small wave at the team, and a quick glance towards Spencer, Mia turned and hurried off. Spencer tuned out the rest of the team as he returned to his seat, feeling suddenly exhausted. Hotch's sister. He'd been seeing, not to mention sleeping with, Hotch's sister. When his phone vibrated, he ran a hand through his hair with a sigh, dreading what was coming.

**Stairwell. Third floor. Now.**

* * *

Mia leaned against the cool brick wall, trying to decipher the emotions currently rushing through her. Sadness? Anger? Frustration? Disappointment? She couldn't quite put her finger on it. All she knew for certain was that seeing Spencer standing there with the rest of her brother's team of FBI agents had caused her heart to plummet into her stomach. She should have known things with Spencer were just too perfect.

Nothing good could come from this. Nothing.

The sound of footsteps from above caused her to look up. After a few seconds Spencer rounded the corner and started down the last set of stairs towards her, looking wary. As he reached the landing, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth, as if to speak. Mia held up her hand, causing him to pause.

"You said you worked for the government," she said, crossing her arms across her chest, deciding that the strongest emotion she felt was anger.

Spencer frowned. "It's the _Federal _Bureau of Investigation, Mia. I didn't lie."

"Oh my_ God_ Spencer!" Mia exclaimed. "When someone says they 'work for the government' it means they have a boring desk job. It doesn't mean they go traipsing around the country, chasing serial killers _with my older brother_!"

"Hey, I didn't know he was your older brother!" Spencer argued. "You never told me what he did!"

"Well why would I?"

"I don't know, doesn't it seem like pretty significant information?"

"What, that my brother is a federal agent?" Mia had the strangest, most irritating urge to laugh. "Yeah, because that goes over _so_ well. Aaron has sent guys literally running in the opposite direction simply by flashing his badge, so I don't typically make a habit of telling men I'm interested in what my brother does for a living."

"You think women like hearing about what I do? I spend my time picking apart the minds of some of the worst criminals imaginable. I have a weird, scary, dangerous job. I find it's better not to lead with that on the first date."

Mia sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "Well regardless. We can't keep doing this now."

"Keep doing what?"

"This. Us. Dating…or whatever we were doing."

Spencer's frown deepened. "What? Why not? Because I didn't tell you I'm an FBI agent?"

"No," Mia shook her head, trying to ignore the sadness that was quickly replacing the anger. "Because you _are_ an FBI agent…because you work with my brother."

"I don't understand."

"He'll kill you if he finds out," she explained. "He makes a point of just generally hating anyone I show interest in."

"He knows me, though," Spencer argued. "We've known each other for years."

"Exactly," Mia said quietly. "Aaron's team is like his family. _You _are like his family. If he were to find out that you and I have been seeing each other, he'd freak out. He'd go into protective mode and there's a good chance things between the two of you would be ruined. I can't take that chance. I can't be responsible for hurting the team."

Spencer was silent a few moments, gazing at her with a furrowed brow. Though she hadn't known him very long, Mia was able to read his expression with ease, and the sadness she saw stabbed at her heart and made her want to cry. She thought back to the day before, when they'd been curled up in bed together and she'd realized that she could see herself falling in love with him. With another painful stab at her heart, she realized she'd already started falling. And now, because of some bad luck, she had catch herself, force herself to stop. Aaron had spent his entire life putting her first, and now it was time to return the favour. She couldn't bring herself to alter the dynamics of the team that meant so much to him.

"I'm sorry, Spencer," she said softly before he could say anything. "Really, I am. You have no idea. But I just…this just wouldn't work."

Suddenly finding it difficult to keep from crying, Mia stood on tiptoe, kissed Spencer softly on the cheek, and then turned and hurried down the stairs. She made it to the washroom on the main floor before she burst into tears. As she barricaded herself in a stall, she silently scolded herself for growing so attached to someone she barely knew. She'd spent her entire life avoiding serious relationships and trust of any sort to keep from getting hurt. For the first time in her adult life she'd finally let her guard down, and, just her luck, it was with someone she couldn't be with. Typical.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You guys rock. Seriously. To show my love for you all, I'm posting two chapters today. Enjoy! :)  
**

_Chapter Six_

"I can't _wait _to get home."

Spencer ignored JJ as he boarded the jet, heading for the seat in the far corner. Sinking into it, he pulled out his phone, despite knowing that he'd have no missed calls, no unanswered text messages. Confirming what he already knew to be true, he sighed and slipped his phone back into his bag. It had been a week and a half since Hotch had introduced his younger sister to the team, and his perfect relationship had come to a crashing halt. He'd called Mia a few times, and had sent numerous text messages, trying to get her to talk to him. She'd managed to ignore all of his attempts, though, and he hadn't spoken to her since that day in the stairwell when she'd run off in tears.

When Morgan sat down across from him, Spencer pretended not to notice. He gazed out the window, struggling to keep his expression as neutral as possible. The two sat in silence while the rest of the team settled in for the flight home. It wasn't until the jet was in the air and everyone else was distracted that Morgan finally spoke.

"Reid, what's up?"

Spencer took a deep breath before looking at him. "Nothing," he lied. "Why?"

"You've been out of it since we got back from holidays," Morgan pointed out. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he said again. "I'm fine."

Morgan leaned forwards, resting his arms on the table between them. "I've known you almost ten years, kid," he said, his voice low. "I can tell there's something wrong. Talk to me."

Spencer glanced out the window again for a few moments, thinking of Mia. He'd never felt this way about anyone before, and had absolutely no experience in the field of dating. He had no idea what he should do or say, or if there was even a way to fix things. Maybe confiding in Morgan, while leaving out certain details, wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe he could help. At the very least, getting things off his chest would likely be therapeutic. Sighing, he turned back to his friend, who was waiting patiently.

"There's this…girl," he said lamely. Morgan's eyebrows shot up. "I met her while we were all on holidays, and we really…hit it off. Things were going really well…"

"What happened?"

"She, uh, freaked out," Spencer shrugged, staring down at his hands dolefully. "She ended it, and won't answer my calls or anything. I'm not really sure what to do."

Morgan looked confused. "Why did she freak out?"

"I think she's got a bit of a commitment phobia. That…and my job may have scared her a bit."

"The job thing's natural," Morgan nodded. "But commitment phobic? I thought that was only male specific?"

"Have you not met Prentiss?"

Morgan glanced over at the dark haired woman who had recently accepted a job in London, only to inexplicably change her mind last minute. "Good point," he conceded. He turned back to Spencer. "Well…this girl…do you like her?"

Spencer frowned at his fingers for a moment. "Yes," he said quietly. He looked up at Morgan. "I really do."

"Does she like you?"

"I think so. She certainly seemed to…"

"Then don't give up!" Morgan grinned at him. "C'mon, kid, if you've found someone you want to be with you don't let her go without a fight!"

Morgan got to his feet, gave Spencer a comforting pat on the shoulder, and went to sit with Prentiss. Spencer watched him go before returning his gaze to the darkened window, eyeing his reflection thoughtfully. Maybe his friend was right; maybe he should fight for Mia. He'd certainly never wanted to spend any extended period of time with another woman before. He'd never met a woman like her, and couldn't see himself finding another completely perfect human being in the foreseeable future. She was definitely worth fighting for, he decided, smiling despite himself. The moment the jet landed back in DC, he'd head straight for her apartment and tell her exactly how he felt.

He'd never been more terrified in his life.

* * *

Spencer stood before the door to Mia's apartment, eyes shut, trying to steady his nerves. He'd never really been one for confrontation, and he'd definitely never been one to express his feelings. The majority of the flight back to Quantico, as well as the drive to her building, had been spent trying to figure out what, exactly, he wanted to say to her. He still didn't know. Taking a deep breath, he decided he'd figure it out as he went, and knocked.

Exactly forty three seconds passed before the door opened and Mia stood before him, causing his breath to catch in his throat. In the few moments following, as she took in his appearance—probably quite dishevelled following the case he'd just worked—he gazed at her, blown away yet again by her beauty. Thick wool socks were pulled up over her grey leggings, an oversized white sweater shrouded her slight frame, her dark brown curls were piled atop her head messily, and she wore a pair of thick rimmed glasses instead of her usual contact lenses. Even in her comfortable clothes, late at night, with no makeup on, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever known.

"Spencer," she said quietly, "What are you doing here?"

"You wouldn't answer any of my calls or return my messages," he replied. "I needed to see you."

Mia shook her head. "I can't," she told him, moving to close the door, her voice barely above a whisper. "I told you. I have to—"

Spencer stepped forwards, preventing her from shutting the door. "I really don't think your brother will care if we have a conversation," he said, surprised at the sudden burst of anger he felt. Judging by the way her eyes went wide, the anger was evident in his voice and had surprised Mia, too. "As far as he knows, he introduced us. He wouldn't have done so if he didn't want us speaking."

For a few moments Mia just gazed up at him, biting her lower lip in the endearing way he'd come to adore. Finally she sighed. "I just made some tea. Do you want to come in?"

Feeling a tiny ray of hope, Spencer nodded and followed her into the apartment. They were both silent as she made him a cup of tea, handed it to him, and then led the way to the living room. He watched her sink into the armchair he knew was her favourite before taking a seat on the sofa. Taking a sip of his tea—chamomile, he noticed absently—he scanned the room. She'd done a lot of unpacking since the last time he'd been there, and pictures of her with her brothers now adorned the wall. He wondered vaguely how differently things would have gone had those pictures been up the first time he'd come over. He spotted her cellphone on the opposite end of the sofa, and was tempted to ask if she'd received any of his messages.

"What do you want to talk about, Spencer?" She asked suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts.

He turned his attention to Mia, curled up in her chair, looking tiny and vulnerable and sad and adorable all at once. "Us," he said simply. "I…miss you."

Mia sighed. "There is no _us_."

"Because you ended it!" Spencer exclaimed, feeling somewhat guilty when she jumped at his suddenly raised voice. "On some ill-conceived notion that your older brother wouldn't approve!"

"It wasn't some 'ill-conceived notion,'" she replied softly. "And it's not simply that he wouldn't approve. In fact, I'm sure that under different circumstances he'd be more than happy if I decided to date someone like you."

"So what's the problem?"

"You work together!"

"Exactly!" Spencer set his tea down, a little more forcefully than necessary. "He knows me! He _trusts _me!"

"_Exactly_," Mia repeated, getting to her feet and moving towards the large picture window that overlooked the quiet street below. "I wasn't kidding when I said my brother is overly protective. He brings 'protective older brother' to a whole new level. He tried stopping me from moving to DC when I got back to the States because he thought I'd be too close to him and his job. If he found out that someone he trusted was sleeping with the baby sister he so diligently tries to protect, to shield from all that is wrong with the world, he would feel betrayed."

"You don't know that for sure," Spencer argued gently, joining her by the window. "I mean, maybe he'd be ok with it. Maybe he'd be happy!"

Mia was silent a few moments, chewing on her lower lip nervously. "You're right," she said finally, turning to gaze up at him. "I don't know for sure. Maybe I'm totally wrong and he'd love to see us together. But I'm pretty sure I know my brother, and I'm pretty sure he would _not _be happy. Even if he was somehow okay with us, it would almost certainly change your relationship with him."

"What do you mean?"

"The team is his family. _You_ are his family," she explained, and Spencer recognized the speech from the stairwell. "If he found out you and I were an item, you wouldn't be his 'resident genius' anymore. You'd be the guy that was sleeping with his baby sister. He hates those guys, and he'd hate you."

"Maybe," Spencer shrugged. "Maybe not."

"Seems like a pretty big risk to take for a girl you had a week long fling with."

"It wasn't just a fling," he said, moving closer to her. He'd never been so inclined to express his emotions before, yet with Mia he wanted to do anything and everything in his power to keep her. "It was more than that. It meant something to me. Didn't it mean something to you?"

Mia backed up a few steps when he reached for her. "No," she whispered, and Spencer was certain his heart broke. "It was just a fling. It was fun, but it's over now."

Spencer stood there a moment, gazing at her, reading her facial expression and body language. She avoided direct eye contact, crossing her arms over her chest, almost protectively. Her eyes glistened with tears, her lower lip trembled tellingly. She looked far too upset to be telling the whole truth. "Mia—"

"You should leave," she said shakily, cutting him off. "I'm sorry."

For a moment, Spencer considered staying. The sadness he saw written all over Mia's face made his heart ache more than her denying any mutual feelings she had. He had no idea how to proceed, however. He couldn't figure out what was going through her head, whether she was lying or not, and if she was, why she would do so. Finally he nodded, turned, and headed for the door. He let himself out, and then stood motionless in the hallway outside her apartment, silently trying to process what had just happened. When he heard the click of her deadbolt and the jingle of the chain sliding into place on the other side of her door, he sighed, admitted defeat, and started towards the stairs in a daze.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven_

Mia stared unseeingly at the spreadsheet on her computer screen. She'd been attempting to work on the store's financial records for over an hour now, and had made absolutely no progress. While normally she rather enjoyed doing the books, today she just couldn't force herself to focus. She'd attempted to convince herself that the lack of caffeine was to blame for her distractedness, but knew the real reason was a certain FBI agent she hadn't heard from since she'd lied through her teeth and sent him away, looking sad and dejected, three nights previously.

"I'm all finished closing up," Alice announced suddenly from the doorway of Mia's office. "Do you need anything before I go?"

Mustering up a smile, Mia looked up at her friend and shook her head. "I'm good," she said quietly. "Thanks, Ali."

Alice nodded and turned to go. Mia returned her gaze to the computer with a sigh. Good was definitely not the word to describe whatever she was feeling right now. She was as far from good as it got, and all because she'd let herself fall for some guy she barely knew. It was ridiculous. Shaking her head at herself disappointedly she exited the spreadsheet and shut her laptop with a snap.

"You ok?"

Mia jumped and glanced up, surprised to find Alice still standing there, watching her closely. "I'm fine," she lied. "I thought you were going home?"

"Home can wait," Alice shrugged, moving further into the office and sinking into one of the armchairs opposite Mia's desk. Mia noticed with an irritating pang of sadness that she'd sat in the same chair Spencer had often occupied during their too perfect, much too short weeklong relationship. "You're clearly upset. Talk to me."

"Really, Ali, I'm ok," Mia insisted, feigning another smile. "Don't worry about me."

"If I don't, who will?" Alice questioned. "This is about Spencer, isn't it?"

Mia was silent a moment before nodding. "It's stupid, I know," she admitted, "But I miss him."

"That's not stupid," her friend argued. "I'd miss him too, if I were you!"

"But I shouldn't," Mia said. "I don't _want _to miss him."

Alice shrugged. "Can't always get what you want," she said knowingly. "But you know you could get him, right? One phone call and he'd be here?"

"I can't."

"Because your brother wouldn't approve?"

"Right."

"Mia, _that_ is stupid," Alice said. Mia frowned. "Why do you even care if your brother approves? He's your big brother. He's never going to approve of anyone…not at first, at least."

"It's not just that," Mia said softly. "He works with Spencer. That changes things."

"It shouldn't."

"But it does."

Both girls were quiet a moment. Mia gazed dolefully at her nails, painted a gloomy shade of grey in honour of her mood of late. Alice sat across the room, watching her silently. They'd only known each other a few weeks, not much longer than Mia had known Spencer, but it hadn't taken long for them to become friends. Alice had worked at the Nook long before Mia decided to purchase it, and was the only employee to stick around after she'd taken over. Mia had relied on her heavily during the transition period, and secretly considered her more of a partner than simply an employee. They were close in age, and had a lot in common, including their mutual love of books, and Mia knew she'd found a long-time friend in the petite, dark haired Alice.

"It was a sign," she admitted finally. Alice arched her eyebrows expectantly. "I knew things were too good to be true," Mia continued. "I've never been _that_ girl. I don't do relationships. There's always something that happens to show me I'm better off alone. When I found out who he really was, it was a sign that we weren't supposed to be together."

"So it's not so much that big brother wouldn't approve," Alice commented. "It's more you needing an excuse not to have to trust someone."

Mia winced slightly. The truth hurt. "Well it sounds sad when you say it like that."

"Honey, it _is _sad," Alice replied, getting to her feet. "Now c'mon. I can't force you to call Spencer, but I can force you to come over for ice cream, wine, and sappy movies. It works for regular breakup pain…I'm sure it'll help with your self-inflicted nonsense."

**It'll be fun, I promise. See you at seven.**

Mia reread her brother's last text message and sighed. He'd somehow managed to get her to agree to attend a games night at David Rossi's house. An evening of good food, great wine, and fun board games was probably exactly what she needed. An evening of trying to avoid Spencer Reid, however, was definitely not. She'd tried to refuse the invite, insisting that Aaron simply enjoy his time with the team. Aaron, however, had insisted right back that he _always_ had time with the team and, until very recently, hadn't had the chance to be with his baby sister. As he believed she was just an employee at The Nook, Mia having not had the nerve to tell him about her recent major purchase, he half expected her to up and leave for some far off land at any moment, and wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

Standing before the full length mirror in her bedroom, Mia examined her outfit with practiced scrutiny. In honour of the cool autumn weather that was suddenly upon them, she wore a cream coloured dress that flowed dreamily to just above her knees, along with a pair of textured black leggings, a brown belt cinching her tiny waist, a pair of worn brown boots, and a purple cardigan for a pop of colour. Her dark hair was pulled away from her face and secured in a messy up do, and she wore her favourite pair of thick rimmed glasses. She was comfortable, cozy, and, she had to admit, very cute.

Sighing, she turned away from the mirror and glanced again at her phone. She had ten minutes before Aaron would be there to pick her up. She briefly entertained the idea of phoning him and faking sick. Despite her confidence boosting outfit, and the wine she knew Dave would have flowing all evening, she wasn't even remotely ready to face Spencer. Though it had been a week since their painful conversation in her living room, and she'd had time to admit to herself that she was afraid of having a serious relationship with someone she'd developed feelings for so quickly, she hadn't had time to make herself get over the man. Topped with the fact that the team had no idea, and the two of them would therefore have to act like nothing was wrong, Mia was certain that tonight would be nothing short of a disaster.

"Hotch! And Mia! Welcome, welcome," David Rossi said happily a half hour later. "Everyone's in the sitting room. We're just waiting on Prentiss now."

Mia hugged Dave briefly and then, managing a convincingly bright smile, followed him into the massive living room. The moment they walked into the room a chorus of greetings reached their ears. Glancing around the room, Mia saw Derek sitting with Penelope, and Spencer sitting cross legged next to JJ. While Aaron greeted the rest of his team, Mia sunk into a nearby armchair, gazing across the room at Spencer. He returned her gaze for a moment before turning back to his conversation with JJ.

Nearly twenty minutes passed before Emily showed up, during which Mia chatted comfortably with Derek and Penelope. Once the entire team had gathered, Dave handed out glasses of wine and announced that there was an array of food waiting in the dining room. Everyone ate and drank, laughing and relaxing and simply enjoying each other's company. Mia and Spencer managed to successfully avoid each other until it came time to choose teams.

"Dibs on my Sweet Cheeks!" Penelope called loudly, putting an arm around Derek and smiling widely.

Everyone laughed. "I'm with Rossi!" Emily said, hurrying to the man's side. He gave her a curious look. "What? You have the wine!"

"Guess that means Hotch is with JJ," Dave laughed, "And the two youngsters can be a team."

Sighing inwardly, Mia laughed along with the rest of the team before downing her third glass of wine. While the first game of the evening, Trivial Pursuit, was being set up, she hurried into the kitchen to refill her glass. She stood by the island, sipping quietly, telling herself over and over that she would survive.

"You ok?"

She glanced up and found Spencer eyeing her warily. She nodded and forced her hundredth fake smile of the evening. "I'm fine. You?"

"Great," he replied with an equally fake smile. "You're okay with us being teamed up together?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Mia asked, much too enthusiastically to be sincere. "We're adults. We can do this."

Mia topped up her glass before brushing past Spencer and heading back towards the living room. Fuelled by the wine, she was able to put her conflicted feelings for Spencer on the back burner and act quite convincingly like nothing was wrong. Spencer followed suit and together they were all but unstoppable. With Spencer's endless knowledge of everything even remotely academic, and Mia's extensive pop culture knowledge, they won the game of Trivial Pursuit in what had to be record time. They wiped the floor with the others with charades, were unbeatable in Mad Gab, and were in the lead in Pictionary when the others gave up.

"I don't know how you two are doing it," Morgan said, pausing to take a deep swig of wine, "But you're definitely cheating."

Everyone agreed jovially, and immediately the game was forgotten. Mia smiled softly and sat back into the small sofa she was sharing with Spencer. The happy buzz the wine had given her was wearing off, leaving her painfully aware of his closeness, of his thigh pressed up against hers, of his arm brushing against hers every time one of them moved. Her mind was a jumbled up cloud of emotions. Part of her wanted to jump up and run for the hills, while the rest of her wanted to jump him, right then and there.

"You've had a lot to drink," Mia laughed, watching her brother sway slightly as he stood. Aaron so rarely allowed himself to let loose and have fun that she couldn't help but smile happily at him. "I'll just call a cab."

"You don't have to do that," Aaron argued with a dismissive wave. "Just spend the night here. It's what I'll end up doing. Dave's got the room."

"I'd rather go home. Don't worry, I'm fine taking a cab."

Her brother shrugged and reached into his pocket, pulling a handful of cash from his wallet. "At least let me pay for it."

"I can give you a ride, if you want," Spencer offered, appearing suddenly at her side. "It's on my way home anyway."

"Oh, no, that's fine," Mia said, her smile diminishing slightly. "Thanks, though."

"I think it's a good idea!" Aaron interjected, putting his money back. "Saves me the money, and that way I know you get there safely."

"Aaron," Mia turned to face him, avoiding Spencer's gaze, "I can call a cab, and I can pay for it myself. It's fine, really."

"It's late," her brother said, his protective, authoritative voice replacing his sort of drunken games night voice. "I'd feel much better knowing someone I trust is seeing you home safely."

"I'm not a child, Aaron."

"I know that," he smiled down at her, "But no matter how old you get, you'll always be my baby sister, and I will always be looking out for you. Let Reid drive you home."

Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, Mia agreed. She said goodbye to the remaining team members, hugging Dave briefly and thanking him for a lovely evening—and the bottle of wine he insisted on sending her home with—and then allowed Aaron to lead her outside. He gave her a brief hug, told her he was glad she'd decided to come, and helped her into Spencer's Volvo. Mia watched as he said a few words to Spencer, nodded at him with a small smile, and then headed back into the house. When Spencer climbed into the car next to her, she remained silent, gazing out the window sullenly.

The ride to her apartment was long and quiet. Mia continued to stare out her window, resting her forehead against the cool glass, while Spencer concentrated on driving. Neither even attempted a conversation. Mia was painfully aware of Spencer sitting so close to her. She could hear his shallow breathing, smell his subtle aftershave, even feel the heat radiating from his body. When he pulled up in front of her apartment building, she was torn between the urge to get as far away from him as possible and the urge to throw herself at him.

"Thank you for the ride," she said, hating how shaky her voice was.

Spencer nodded in acknowledgment, watching her closely. She forced a small smile before pushing her door open. "I know you didn't mean it," he said suddenly.

Mia froze. "I'm sorry?"

"What you said," he continued, "The last time we spoke. You didn't mean it."

Shutting her eyes for a moment, Mia sighed. "Yes, I did, Spencer," she replied. "I meant every word."

Without waiting for a response Mia climbed out of the car, shut the door, and hurried up the steps of her building. She'd barely reached the door, and hadn't even begun to search for her keys, when the car door slammed shut, letting her know that Spencer wasn't giving up quite yet.

"Why are you following me?"

"Your brother made me promise I'd see you safely to your door."

Mia rolled her eyes and dug around in her bag for her keys, ignoring Spencer. He sighed and, grabbing her by the shoulder, spun her so they were face to face. "You didn't mean it," he repeated, his expression solemn. "I know how to tell when someone is lying. You lied. You're just afraid to admit that you have real feelings for me."

"You know, Spencer," Mia snapped, her sadness expressing itself as anger, "Contrary to popular belief, you _don't _know everything! I did _not_ lie to you. I do _not _have feelings for you. What we had was fun, and that is it!"

The expression on Spencer's face made Mia want to throw herself at him, assuring him that she was lying through her teeth, that she _was _just scared. Instead, she turned back to the door, keys now in hand, and let herself into the building. Leaving Spencer outside, looking heartbreakingly upset, Mia hurried towards the stairs, wanting desperately to reach her apartment and throw herself onto her bed in a fit of frustrated, self-loathing, slightly drunken tears.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Ah! Had some pretty frustrating computer issues this week. Add that to school, and my new found obsession with Doctor Who, and you'll understand why I've been so slow. But! As a reward for your awesomeness, there will be two chapters today! And, I know y'all are looking for more of the Spencer/Mia fluff. And I promise, it's on its way. Lots of it. Enjoy! :) **

_Chapter Eight_

"Mia," Dave greeted warmly, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I've been summoned," Mia said with a small smile. "Big Brother Aaron needs to speak with me, apparently."

Behind her, Derek let out a low whistle. "That's never a good sign."

Mia turned to smile at him. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I can take him."

This earned a bout of laughter from the men. Mia opened her mouth to continue, but shut it immediately when Spencer walked through the glass doors of the BAU. He stopped mid step, gazing at her warily. Mia looked away, ignoring the stab of guilt she felt at the sight of him. He continued towards his desk, acting as if he hadn't seen her.

"I should get up there," she said, smiling brightly at both Dave and Derek. "Wish me luck!"

They wished her luck as she turned and jogged up the few steps to the catwalk, hurrying towards Aaron's office. She could feel Spencer's eyes on her as she knocked on the door and waited, and breathed a sigh of relief when her brother opened the door and she could momentarily escape his gaze.

"What's up?" She asked as he hugged her briefly before ushering her into a chair. "You sounded weird on the phone."

"Did I? Strange." Aaron's voice was oddly light as he took a seat behind his desk. "I heard from a friend of mine earlier today."

Mia raised her eyebrows with a slight smile. "Oh?"

"He happens to be a professor at the NYU School of Law," he said conversationally. "He mentioned that he was sorry to hear you wouldn't be joining the faculty after all."

Immediately Mia's heart plummeted into her stomach. The moment of truth had arrived. She resisted the urge to stand up and leave, settling instead with gazing down at her bright pink fingernails. "Ah."

"I tried correcting him, told him you'd just deferred your acceptance," Aaron continued, "But he insisted that he'd double checked, and apparently you've turned it down."

Mia kept her eyes focused downwards, tracing swirly designs into her jeans. She could feel her brother's gaze on her, and knew that he was waiting her to comment. She'd known this day was coming, known she was going to have to tell him the truth about law school eventually, but she hadn't even thought of how she'd approach the subject, hadn't prepared her argument. The silence stretched on for what seemed like ages, until finally she couldn't bear it anymore. Taking a deep breath she looked up to find Aaron watching her, his mouth set in a hard line, eyes dark and dangerous.

"You're going to have to help me out here, Mia," he said finally. "See, I was under the impression that you'd returned from seeing the world to go to law school."

"Um, yeah," Mia said slowly, "I changed my mind…"

"You changed your mind."

"I was going to tell you," she said hurriedly. "Really, Aaron—"

"When?" He interrupted her. "When it was time to bring you to New York to drop you off at school? Or maybe when I showed up for your graduation?"

"Aaron," Mia sighed, "Don't be silly. I was waiting for a good moment!"

"Mia, we've had dinner together at least once a week since you moved back," Aaron pointed out, anger evident in his voice. "We speak almost _daily_. How did you not come across a 'good moment' to tell me that you're throwing away your future?"

"Hey! I am _not _throwing my future away!" Mia exclaimed. "I am just choosing a different future!"

"What might that be?" The condescension in her brother's voice made Mia angry. "Working at a bookstore for the next forty years? Or have you got some other clever little plan cooked up?"

"There's no need to be like that, Aaron," she said irritably, "I'm not a child."

"Really? Because throwing away an acceptance to one of the best law schools in the nation seems pretty rash and childish!"

Mia got to her feet and turned towards the door. "I'm not having this conversation if you can't treat me like an adult."

Behind her Aaron sighed. "Fine," he said, "Sit back down. Tell me what your plan is."

Mia waited a moment before returning to the chair facing her brother. "You're not going to like it," she warned.

"I already don't," he admitted, leaning forward and resting his arms on the desk. "Let's hear it."

"Ok. Well, the bookstore I work at," she said slowly, "I don't just…work at."

"Meaning what, exactly?"

"I…um…own it."

Aaron stared at her a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly. "You own it? In what sense?"

Mia laughed softly. "In the sense that I am the owner," she replied. "It's mine."

"Are you telling me that you _bought_ a bookstore?"

"Yes."

"How did you…uh…pay for it?"

"Um…" Mia cringed slightly, preparing for her brother's reaction. "I used the money Mom left me."

"You mean the money that was meant for law school?! You're joking, right?"

"No, Aaron, I'm not joking," Mia said, rolling her eyes. "And before you get any ideas, the paper work was finalized a couple weeks ago, so don't even bother using your magic FBI powers or fancy connections to try getting me out of this."

"Amelia Grace, are you crazy?!" Aaron demanded, his voice rising to the point where he was almost shouting at her. "You can't own your own business! What were you thinking?!"

Mia was back on her feet instantly. "First of all," she said, fighting to keep from losing her cool, "I am _not _Jack. You can't middle name me like you would your son and expect it to intimidate me. Second of all, what do you mean I _can't_ own my own business?!"

"You don't know the first thing about owning a bookstore," Aaron told her, getting to his feet too. "You don't have the qualifications or the education or experience or anything!"

"I have my masters in English Literature!" Mia exclaimed. "I have a relatively extensive knowledge of books, Aaron! And, for your information, I took some business courses online while I was overseas! I know what I'm doing!"

"Mia, you can't possibly have thought this through! Owning a business is more than just liking books and taking an online course or two! It's a fulltime, lifelong commitment! It's a lot to deal with!"

Mia grabbed her keys and sunglasses from Aaron's desk, dropping her keys into her purse and shoving her sunglasses atop her head. Slinging her purse over her shoulder she turned and stormed towards the door in a huff. "You know," she said, turning as she threw the door open, "I _knew _you wouldn't be supportive, that you wouldn't have faith in me. _That _is why I didn't want to tell you. I knew that as soon as I did you would go all high and mighty, big brother knows all on me!"

"I'm just thinking about you, Mia!" Aaron said loudly, drawing the attention of the team members in the bullpen. "I don't want you to throw away your future on a whim!"

"It is not a _whim_!" Mia threw her hands up in frustration. "Just because I'm not choosing your idea of the right future does not mean I'm making a mistake! It means…it means I don't want to be_ you_!"

Aaron blinked at her, breathing heavily. "What…what do you mean by that?"

"_You_ went to law school," Mia said angrily, "_You_ became a lawyer and joined the FBI and chose that future, and look how you turned out! You don't ever laugh or smile! Your marriage fell apart at the seams, your ex-wife was _murdered_, and your girlfriend lives like three hours away! You rarely see your own son! That's not the future I want, Aaron!"

"Mia—"

"No, Aaron," Mia suddenly felt like she was going to burst into tears, "Don't. I get it. You don't approve. I'm in this by myself. It's fine. I neither want, nor _need_, your support."

Before he could respond Mia turned and hurried out of his office. She all but ran down the steps into the bullpen and, ignoring the team—all of whom were pretending not to be eavesdropping—left the BAU as quickly as possible. Standing in front of the elevator doors she hit the button a few times, fighting to keep the tears at bay and having more difficulty the longer she waited. After a few moments she gave up on the elevator and ducked into the staircase, making it down three flights of stairs before she was overcome by emotion and dissolved into tears. Using the cool brick wall for support she let the tears flow freely. She'd known the conversation with Aaron wouldn't go well, that she wouldn't have his immediate support, but she'd never meant to behave so horribly. To mention his severe lack of a sense of humor was one thing, but throwing Haley's death in his face had been inexcusable.

She stood there sobbing uncontrollably for a few moments before hearing footsteps hurrying towards her from above. Taking a shaky breath she straightened up and wiped at her tears, ready to continue downwards, when a familiar pair of blue Converse came into view, followed quickly by khaki pants, a black sweater, and finally a mess of dark hair. Spencer stopped a few steps above her, gazing silently at her, his expression cautious. Mia returned his gaze for a split second before fresh tears started falling. She turned to leave, to hide her emotional breakdown from him, but he was down the last few steps before she could go anywhere, gathering her in his arms, pulling her close.

Mia leaned into him, dampening his sweater with tears as she sobbed into his chest. Spencer's arms tightened around her and he pressed a kiss atop her head, murmuring comforting words as he let her cry. The warmth from his body and the smell of his slightly spicy aftershave surrounded her soothingly and she wanted nothing more than to stay in his arms forever. Which is why, with a deep, steadying breath, she pulled away from slowly. Taking a small step back, she wiped at her tears and looked up at him.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Spencer frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I've been so awful to you," she said tearfully, "Since finding out that you work with Aaron. Why are you being so nice? I don't deserve it."

He wiped her tears away with a swipe of his thumb, gazing at her sadly. "Because I care."

Mia gazed up at him for a few moments, her body trembling, her throat tight, mascara burning her eyes. Could Spencer Reid be any more perfect? She sincerely doubted it. "You should probably get back upstairs," she whispered, "My brother will be wondering where you are. He's already in a bad mood…we shouldn't make that worse."

"Are you going to be ok?" Spencer asked, looking genuinely worried.

Mia nodded. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Spencer looked like he didn't quite believe her, but after a moment he nodded and turned to head back upstairs. Mia watched him climb the stairs slowly, feeling like he was taking a piece of herself with him. The warmth from his hug was gone, leaving her cold and shaky and wanting to cry even more.

"Spencer!" She called out suddenly, causing him to turn halfway up the stairs. She gazed up at him silently for a few moments, thinking of all she wanted to say to him. Finally she smiled softly. "Thank you."

He returned her smile with a small one of his own before continuing up the stairs, disappearing a second later. Mia gave herself a few moments, took a deep breath, and headed down the stairs. Despite her conflicted feelings for him, Spencer had helped calm her down. What she wanted more than anything was to run back upstairs, find him, and fall back into his arms. Instead, she pulled out her phone, dialled the store, and told Alice to close early. They were going day drinking.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: As promised, two chapters today! :) **

_Chapter Nine_

Gazing up at the ceiling, Spencer sighed. While he rarely got a good night's sleep, lately things had been getting worse. On the nights he managed to fall asleep, he had terrible nightmares that had him waking up in a cold sweat. When he didn't have nightmares, he laid awake stressing himself out over everything that was wrong with his life. Tonight was no different. He'd been lying in bed for hours, his mind full of images of Mia as he replayed every single conversation they'd had since they'd met. He was reminiscing sadly about their day at the park when there was a sudden knock at the door.

Spencer glanced over at the clock. It was almost one in the morning. Frowning slightly as he got to his feet, he wondered who on earth would be at his door at such an odd time. Before unlocking the door he peered through the peep hole, debating whether or not he should have his gun ready. To his surprise, however, he found Mia standing in the hallway, chewing her lower lip in that way that made his heart race. He stood there for a moment, gazing at her, not sure what to make of her appearance. Her hair tumbled about her shoulders in messy curls and her bright blue eyes were adorned with an unusual, yet undeniably sexy, amount of dark makeup. She wore a low cut, semi-transparent white top beneath a black jacket, and ripped jeans with insanely high heeled shoes. While he loved her usual sweet, understated style, this edgy look was extremely attractive. When she knocked a second time, he realized he was just staring at her and hastened to unlock the door.

"Spencer," she said with a small smile, her voice oddly husky. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Spencer shook his head, "I couldn't sleep."

Mia's smile grew slightly as she gazed at him, forced to look up despite her heels. "Are you gonna invite me in?"

His heart and mind both racing, Spencer nodded silently and moved to the side. She brushed past him gracefully. He slowly shut the door, replacing the chain out of habit, and then turned to face Mia. She was standing a few feet away, gazing around with a strange little smile. Spencer wasn't really sure what to say or do, or what was going on, so he stood there, taking in every inch of her. After a minute she spun on her heel and gave him a look that made his breath catch in his throat.

"Spence," she breathed, dropping her bag and moving towards him slowly, "You can keep a secret, right?"

He'd barely managed a slight nod before she'd thrown herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his. Spencer responded immediately, spinning her and pushing her up against the door, wondering vaguely if he had actually fallen asleep and was having some sort of wondrous dream. After a moment or two he deepened the kiss, and immediately he could taste tequila.

"Mia," he whispered, pulling away very reluctantly, "Should we be doing this?"

Mia smiled up at him as she slid her hands underneath his t-shirt. "Don't you want to?"

He groaned slightly and rested his forehead against hers, shutting his eyes as she pushed his shirt up slowly. "I do," he replied throatily, "But you're drunk."

Mia smiled an adorable smile that made Spencer want her even more. "Only a little bit."

When she reached up to kiss him again, any remaining resolve he may have had melted away. When she pushed his shirt up further he acquiesced, helping her pull it up over his head and toss it to the ground. She ran her hands up and down his torso while he pushed his hands into her hair, deepening the kiss further. In a matter of minutes he'd pushed her jacket off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground, followed shortly after by her button down top. When she pushed him away, he gave her a questioning look, his breath heavy and ragged.

"Bed," she said, breathing just as heavily. "Now."

Spencer nodded and, grabbing her hand, turned and led her quickly through the apartment. When they reached the bedroom Mia shimmied out of her jeans, leaving her in a set of lacy black undergarments and her high heels, and fell back on the bed. Spencer drank in the sight of her for a few moments before quickly stepping out of his own pants and joining her. She immediately rolled over so she was astride him and began kissing a trail down his chest towards his abdomen. Spencer moaned happily as he felt her warm breath at the waistband of his boxers. Whatever this was, dream or not, he wasn't sure he wanted it to end.

* * *

Mia awoke slowly from a deep, dreamless sleep, feeling safe and warm and oh so good, despite the tequila headache and the dry mouth. It took her a moment to remember where she was or what had happened the night before, but when she did her eyes snapped open to find Spencer fast asleep next to her. His mouth was curved upwards in a slightly satisfied smile, his hair an adorable mess. Resisting the urge to reach out and touch him, Mia sighed softly and slid out from beneath the covers, careful not to disturb him as she got out of bed. She hurried into the bathroom and peered at her reflection in the mirror, cringing at her smudged makeup and out of control curls.

After doing her best to tame her hair and neaten last night's makeup, Mia tiptoed back into the bedroom and started searching for her clothing. She found her undergarments, and slipped into her jeans before sneaking one last peek at the peaceful Spencer and, shoes in hand, headed for the pile of discarded shirts by the door. She quickly pulled on the blouse from the night before, and turned to grab her purse, only to find Spencer standing in the hallway, wearing only a pair of boxers and gazing at her blearily.

"Hey," she said with a smile, "I'm sorry for waking you. I tried to be quiet."

"Where are you going?" He asked, frowning at her.

"I, uh, have to get home," she answered slowly, "so I can change and get over to the store."

"It's six o'clock in the morning," Spencer pointed out, his frown deepening.

"I…want to get there early…"

"It's Sunday," he added. "You don't work Sundays."

Mia sighed. "Spencer, I—"

"You're regretting last night," he interrupted her, suddenly fully awake. "You think we made a mistake."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"No, but it's what you were thinking," Spencer insisted. "I can see the regret all over your face."

"Spence," Mia started with a sigh, "I don't _regret_ last night. It was…great. But it shouldn't have happened."

"Why not? You wanted it, I wanted it. What's the problem?"

"We've been over this, Spence!" Mia exclaimed. "If my brother found out—"

"He'd kill me, yeah," Spencer interrupted her again. "But this isn't about your brother. Not really."

"What?"

"You're not leaving because of Hotch. There's something else...another reason that you're leaving at six in the morning without saying goodbye."

"You're wrong, Spencer," Mia said softly, turning to leave. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Spencer grabbed her hand before she could open the door, turning her so she was facing him. "What are you afraid of?"

Mia gazed up at him, chewing on her lower lip. "I'm not," she whispered. "I just have to leave."

"Mia," Spencer said with a small laugh, "I make a living at being able to read people. I can tell when they—when _you_—are keeping something from me. Tell me. What are you scared of?"

Tears filled her eyes as she looked down. "You. This. _Us_."

"Wh-what?" Spencer stammered, taking a step back, releasing her hand from his grasp. "Me?"

"The way I feel about you," she continued tearfully. "I'm scared of how strongly I feel for you…and how quickly it happened."

"Why?"

Mia shakily swiped at a few tears that had managed to slip down her cheek. "I've spent my entire life learning to not have to depend on other people, to be ok on my own," she said, gazing at her nails intently. "I mean, I was able to spend three years overseas, and I can count on one hand how many people I actually missed. Now I can't go a day without missing _you_. When I see you, even if it's from afar and we don't speak, my day is better because of it. The effect one single person can have on my happiness terrifies me." Mia paused for a moment to take a deep, steadying breath. "The fact that you work with Aaron scares me, too. That part isn't a lie. I mean, if he were to find out and ruin things for us…or I end up ruining things between the two of you…I just…" her voice trailed off uncertainly and again she was forced to wipe tears away. "And then there's the job itself! I mean, if I let myself have what I want, and we're together, and then you go off on some case and don't make it home and I have to learn to live without you…"

Suddenly Spencer was there, his arms around her tightly, and her tears were flowing freely. "I'm scared, too," he admitted, pulling away slightly so he could look into her eyes. "I've never felt like this about anyone, ever. When I'm with you everything is…good. Perfect. And I know I don't know a lot about relationships and the like, but I'm pretty sure this feeling doesn't come along very often. We shouldn't let fear stop us."

"What if—"

"No," Spencer cut her off, "No 'what-ifs.' If something happens, we cross that bridge when we get there. Don't we owe it to ourselves to try? I mean, it's what we both want."

"What if things don't work out?"

"Then we figure that out," he replied simply. "But I don't foresee that being an issue. And if you're worried about Hotch, then we just don't have to tell him for a while. Or anyone, for that matter. No one needs to know anything until we know where we stand."

Mia chewed on her lower lip nervously as she gazed up at Spencer, thinking things over silently. "He'll still kill you."

"I know," Spencer smiled. He brushed her tears away with his thumb before leaning down and kissing her softly. "Stay. Come back to bed."

Smiling shakily, Mia nodded and allowed him to lead her back to the bedroom. They were both silent as she changed into an old t-shirt he passed her, and then the two of them crawled under the covers. When he pulled her close, Mia sighed happily and melted into him, feeling like a huge weight had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders. While she was still beyond terrified of getting hurt, or of hurting Spencer or Aaron or anyone else involved, the warmth of Spencer's arms around her, his steady heartbeat beneath her head, seemed to make everything else seem minor and insignificant. All that mattered was being there, with him, happy.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: You guys rock. Really. This is kind of a short chapter...and I'm sorry. I meant to post another one with it, but I'm writing an uber fluffy chapter (because you all love them so much!) to go in between this one and the one I had initially planned, and due to unforeseen circumstances I haven't been able to finish it. Also, just a warning, I have to go out of town for a family emergency, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next. I'll do my best, though.  
xo**

_Chapter Ten_

**Almost done here. Be back soon :)**

Mia hit send on her message, smiling softly, before setting her phone aside. Following her argument, and subsequent makeup, with Spencer, she'd slept the morning away, catching up on the sleep she hadn't realized she'd been lacking. When they'd both awoken, feeling more refreshed than they had in weeks, they'd had coffee in bed before Mia announced that she did, in fact, have to head to the store for a few hours to get some work done. Spencer had reluctantly let her leave after making her promise to come back as soon as she was finished.

Despite spending the past couple weeks trying to convince herself that she wasn't bothered by their short lived relationship, it was obvious by her sudden drastic attitude change that it had been weighing on her more than she'd allowed herself to believe. While they hadn't exactly discussed the parameters of their relationship, the fact that they were, at the very least, together for the time being, seemed to make all the difference in the world. Mia was happy, and had managed to get more work done in the past few hours than she had in the past few weeks. She'd finished the financial records for the month, double checked the inventory, made up a tentative work schedule, come up with a few different marketing ideas, and had done it all while humming cheerily. All she had left was an attempt at organizing the front desk so that Alice had a clean workspace when she came in Monday morning, and then she planned on picking up some dinner and heading back to Spencer's.

Twenty minutes into her organization of the front desk, Mia was curled up in the cushy little swivel chair reading a volume of Sherlock Holmes she'd stumbled upon. Despite her determination to finish quickly and get back to Spencer, she'd never been able to resist a good Sherlock story. Just as Sherlock and Watson were about to solve the mystery, there was a knock at the door, causing her to jump. Frowning slightly, wondering who would be there on a Sunday—the one day of the week they were closed—she set the book down, straightened her dress, and hurried around the desk. Before unlocking the door she peeked through the curtains and found Aaron waiting patiently, his eyes bleak, his mouth set in a hard line. Sighing softly she slid the deadbolt out of place and pulled the door open.

"If you're here to yell," she said quietly, "I'm going to have to ask that you vacate the premises."

Aaron sighed. "I'm not here to argue, Mia," he replied. "I came to apologize."

Mia eyed him warily for a moment before stepping aside so he could come in. While he scanned the main floor of her beloved bookstore, she locked the door and made her way back over to the desk. After checking her phone for any messages from Spencer, of which there were none, she shut it off, sensing a serious conversation heading her way and not wanting any interruptions. She leaned back against the desk, watching her brother silently and waiting for him to make the first move.

After a few moments, he turned to face her. "This is cute."

He had on a pair of worn jeans and an old sweater from his college days, Mia noticed, and his slightly hunched posture and the dark circles beneath his eyes told her he hadn't had a lot of sleep. Suddenly their conversation replayed her mind, and she felt a stab of guilt when she remembered her unnecessary comment about Haley.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, hurrying over to hug him. "I didn't mean it. I was upset."

He hugged her back for a few moments. "I know," he said softly. "It's ok."

"No, Aaron, it's not. I shouldn't have said what I said."

"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."

Mia gave him a half shrug. "Probably not," she agreed. "But I crossed a line."

"Maybe. You had reason to be upset, though," he admitted. After a moment, he smiled contritely. "You'd think I'd have learned with Sean. We had almost the exact same fight when he decided to go off and be a chef instead of doing law school. I'm sorry, Mia. Really." He paused, and Mia said nothing, knowing how difficult it was for either of her brothers—or herself, for that matter—to admit they'd been wrong. "I just…I know you're not a child, but I feel like I need to look out for you. You're my baby sister…doesn't matter how old you get, you always will be. If I think you're doing something stupid, I'm going to tell you. Sometimes I think I know what's good for you, even if I'm way off. And we'll _always_ fight. That won't change."

Mia smiled. "I know."

"More than anything in the world, though, I want you to be happy," he continued. "If owning a bookstore is what makes you happy, then I'll make peace with you not becoming a high paid attorney of some sort."

"It makes me happy," Mia assured him. "Very happy."

"Then I'm happy for you," Aaron smiled. He was silent a moment before his expression went serious again. "One more thing," he added. "I'm here for you. I will always be here for you, no matter what. You're not alone in this, or in anything else. I want you to be able to come to me with things…even if you think I'll get upset. Because you know I'll always get over it."

Mia's mind immediately went to Spencer. She wondered vaguely if Aaron would remember that promise when it came time to tell him. She hoped he managed to get over it as quickly as he had the bookstore. Smiling softly, she hugged her brother. Her half organized front desk forgotten, she proceeded to show him around the store, and excitedly mentioned the tentative plans she and the café owner next door had to knock down a wall and connect their businesses. Now that their fight was forgotten, their outbursts forgiven, Aaron was supportive and even cheerful as they chatted.

While he poured over the business plans she'd drawn up on her computer, Mia smiled softly to herself. Not even twenty four hours previously she'd felt like her life had been turned upside down; she'd had no Spencer, and a furious brother. Now, however, things were looking up. She knew it was only a matter of time before she encountered her next obstacle—likely Aaron discovering her relationship with his agent—but until then, Mia was going to enjoy the happiness.

* * *

"I think we need codenames."

Spencer frowned as he played with Mia's hair absentmindedly. They were lying in bed in his semi darkened room, and had been silent for several minutes, so he wasn't entirely sure what she meant. "Codenames?"

"Yeah," she said, turning so she could smile at him. "Don't you guys use codenames at work?"

Spencer chuckled. "Why would we use codenames?"

"When you're doing your secret agent stuff," she replied, "And you don't want the bad guys to know who you are!"

"Mia, we're not secret agents," Spencer laughed. "We're FBI agents. We go into buildings with 'FBI' written across our chests…codenames would be kind of pointless."

"Well that's no fun," she commented, looking genuinely disappointed. "Regardless. I think _we_ need codenames."

"Why?"

"So we can text message each other," she explained, "Without other people catching on."

"I really don't think people will be reading our text messages to each other."

"No?" Mia arched her eyebrows as she reached for her phone. Spencer watched while she typed something quickly before setting it back down. Seconds later, his phone buzzed from his bedside table. Smiling knowingly, Mia reached across him, snatching his phone up before he'd even moved. "Oh, Reid, you've got a message," she said in an odd, deep voice. Immediately Spencer knew she was impersonating Morgan, and he couldn't help but laugh. "It's from Mia. She misses you…with a little heart. Who's Mia? Not Hotch's Mia, I hope."

"Ok, ok," Spencer conceded with a laugh, "I get your point. We need codenames."

Mia nodded with a smug little smirk that he loved and gave him his phone. "What should they be?"

For the next half hour, the two of them lay in bed, discussing potential codenames and laughing uproariously at each other's suggestions. It was easily one of the silliest conversations Spencer had ever had, while simultaneously one of the best. As they lay in bed laughing, Spencer marvelled at what a complete turn his mood had taken in the past twenty four hours. Mia had admitted that it terrified her that one person had such influence on her happiness, and he hadn't really thought about it, but he suddenly realized what she meant. Whenever she was around, even the simplest of things seemed extraordinary. Being with her was like wearing a pair of rose coloured glasses, he decided, and while he wasn't sure what their future held, he knew for a fact that he wouldn't let her go without one hell of a fight.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm back! Finally. Words cannot express how good it is to be home. I have piles and piles of laundry and homework, but figured my fic should take precedence :) Stay tuned for a couple more (very fluffy) chapters later today. This one, while not as fluffy as the others will be, is sort of explanatory...a bit of a foundation for our two lovebirds! Big thanks to all of you for being amazing!**

_Chapter Eleven_

"A _few_ doctorates?!"

Spencer looked embarrassed. "I have my PhDs in math, chemistry, and engineering," he explained, "As well as BAs in psychology, sociology, and philosophy."

"Wow," Mia breathed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Same reason I didn't mention the FBI thing," he shrugged. "Women tend to get freaked out when they find out. Actually, people in general seem to get freaked out. I didn't want to scare you off."

Mia laughed softly. "Of all the things that could scare me off," she said, "That is certainly not one of them. It's very impressive."

The relief written all over his face was adorable. Mia leaned across the sofa to give him a quick kiss, and he grinned. They'd agreed that there were some things they needed to discuss, some half-truths that needed to be set straight. Mia had started with an easy topic—Spencer's apparent doctor status. She'd known from the start that he was intelligent, but it had come as a bit of surprise that he was a quantifiable genius with multiple doctorate degrees.

"How did you have enough time to earn _three_ PhDs?"

"I was something of a…child prodigy," Spencer replied. "I graduated high school when I was twelve."

"Geez," Mia shook her head with a smile. "While that doesn't freak me out, it _does _make me feel a whole lot less intelligent."

"Believe me," he assured her, "You're far more intelligent when it comes to things that count."

"Such as?"

"Basic social interaction?"

Mia laughed. "Fair enough," she conceded. "Your turn."

"My turn?"

"To ask a question. There has to be something you want to know about me."

Spencer was thoughtful for a moment. "Okay," he said slowly. "Why isn't your last name Hotchner?"

"Aaron made me change it."

His obvious confusion was endearing. "He made you change your name?"

"I'm not joking when I say he's over protective," Mia smiled. "It was just after he joined the BAU. He didn't like the idea of people being able to connect me to him. He thought having the same last name put me in 'unnecessary danger,' so he got me to take our mom's maiden name. He tried to make Sean do it, too, but he's always had a bit more difficulty bossing our brother around."

"Wow," Spencer remarked softly. He gazed at his hands for a few moments before looking over at her. "He really _is _going to kill me, isn't he?"

Laughing, Mia reached over to kiss him. "Don't worry," she breathed, "I'll protect you."

Spencer grinned, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. Mia sighed happily, resting her head on his shoulder, enjoying the closeness. As they sat there in silence, Spencer playing with her hair absentmindedly, Mia wondered vaguely why she'd ever been afraid of this. Being with him was easy, comfortable, and not scary in the least. Even the thought of Aaron finding out about them, while not even remotely appealing to her, wasn't really the _worst_ thing imaginable. Granted, she didn't want him finding out any time soon, but when the time came, she felt she'd be ready.

"Can I ask you something?" Spencer asked suddenly, shifting slightly so he could see her face.

Mia smiled. "Well, technically it's my turn. But go ahead."

"Ok. You don't necessarily have to tell me," he said slowly, "But I'm curious. Why were you so reluctant to…do this?"

"Do what?"

"This," Spencer repeated. Mia arched her eyebrows, causing Spencer to sigh. "Um…be with me. Have a relationship. Trust…someone else."

Mia was ever so slightly taken aback. It was as if he'd read her mind. "I'm not really sure," she told him. "I can't really trace it back to something specific. I just…I've just never really…trusted people. Until you, there were only three people I've ever been able to trust."

"Your brothers?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "And our mom."

"Not your father?"

Mia shook her head. "I never knew my father," she admitted. "He had a heart attack and passed away just before I was born."

"Oh, Mia, I'm sorry."

She smiled at him softly. "Don't be. I never knew him, so I never really had a chance to miss him. If that makes sense."

Spencer pressed a quick kiss atop her head. "Tell me about your mom."

"She was amazing," Mia said instantly, smiling despite the wave of sadness that washed over her at the thought of her mother. "She never remarried…so she raised me all on her own. The boys were a lot older than me, so they helped out a bit. By the time I started middle school, though, both of them had moved out and were living lives of their own, so it was just the two of us for the most part." Spencer remained silent as she paused, reminiscing sadly. "She was my best friend," she continued softly. "She was always there for me, no matter what. She worked nights as a nurse, but still managed to make me breakfast every morning, and be there every day after school to talk about my day, help me with homework, or just hang out. She never once missed a single school play, and chaperoned at every school dance and field trip I can remember." She paused briefly to take a deep breath. "I really miss her."

"What happened?" Spencer asked gently.

"She was in a car accident," Mia whispered, "Almost four years ago. It was snowing, and another car lost control and hit hers. She was gone before they got her to the hospital."

Mia didn't realize she'd started to cry until Spencer pulled her closer. For a few moments, she simply cried, and he simply held her tightly. Following her mother's death, she'd dropped everything and left the country, desperate to escape the sadness. She spent most of her time making an unconscious effort to _not_ think of her mother, and couldn't remember the last time she'd talked to anyone but Aaron or Sean about her, but somehow talking to Spencer felt good. Confiding in him felt right.

"Mom had some rotten luck with men," she said, brushing her tears away determinedly. "Apparently our dad wasn't the greatest husband…or father, for that matter. And she didn't date much when I was younger, but she had a string of bad boyfriends just after I turned thirteen. I think watching her go through bad relationship after bad relationship might be a big part of why I have such a hard time trusting."

"How were they bad?"

"Um…" Mia took a shaky breath. "They all had a tendency to drink too much and then smack her around a bit. They yelled a lot. Sean tells me our father was the same way. I'm not sure what it was about her, but somehow they always managed to find her, and she always managed to see the good in them."

Spencer tensed. "Did they hurt you?"

Touched by the concern in his voice, Mia shook her head. "No," she assured him with a smile. "Before I came along, Aaron started getting in the middle of the fights our parents had. He got hit a few times, I guess, but never let Sean get hurt. That sort of carried over to me…when Mom started dating again, both boys were constantly checking in on me. The one time one of the boyfriends came close, Aaron had him arrested."

"One of them came close?" He sounded alarmed, and angry. "What happened?"

Mia was quiet a moment, thinking back to that stormy night over a decade ago. She'd been fifteen at the time, and her mother was at work when her boyfriend at the time showed up unannounced, drunker than Mia had ever seen him. When she'd tried telling him that her mother wasn't home, he'd forced himself into the house anyway, insisting that, one way or another, he was going to get some action from someone that night. Mia had run into the kitchen and called the first person that came to mind—Aaron—but had barely even started speaking when the guy was knocking the phone out of her hand drunkenly. She'd managed to barricade herself in a closet, and hadn't had to wait long before the police showed up, closely followed by Sean. Aaron had been living in DC already by that point, so didn't show up until early the next morning. After ensuring that the guy wouldn't be coming anywhere near his family again, he'd sent Sean and Mia out for breakfast while he had a very serious chat with their mother.

"One of them showed up one night, drunk," she explained, skipping over most of the details. No need to upset him over something that had happened so long ago. "I called Aaron, and he took care of it. Mom never dated again after that. I think Aaron made her swear she wouldn't."

"Did he hurt you?!" Spencer demanded. Clearly the not upsetting him plan hadn't exactly succeeded. "Where is he now?"

"I have no idea," Mia shrugged. "He didn't hurt me. He was so drunk he could barely walk…he did nothing more than freak me out a bit. And really piss of my brothers." Spencer still looked angry, so Mia smiled. "Spence, I'm fine. It happened, like, a thousand years ago. It's done."

"I don't like it. He could have really hurt you."

"But he didn't," Mia assured him. He continued to look upset, so she changed the subject. "Tell me about your family."

He glanced at her, his expression softening slightly as he sighed. "I never knew my father, either," he told her quietly. "Not until very recently. He left me and my mother when I was young."

"Were you close to your mom?"

"Yeah, we were close," Spencer nodded. Something in his eyes, in his expression, made Mia's heart ache. "She was…sick. So I spent a lot of time taking care of her."

"Sick?"

Spencer was quiet for a few moments, his gaze distant. "She's a paranoid schizophrenic," he told her, the sadness in his voice making her want to cry. "She lives in a sanatorium in Vegas, and has been there since I had her committed when I turned eighteen."

Mia felt her heart break. The guilt, and the pain it caused him, was evident in Spencer's eyes. Not knowing what to say, she leaned into him again, hugging him while she fought to keep from crying. He hugged her back, saying nothing. Mia felt awful. She'd been so busy trying to keep her own pain secret that she hadn't even considered the possibility of Spencer having his own issues. Suddenly, she was beyond grateful that he'd fought for her. Having someone to talk to, to trust, and someone who trusted her, who confided in her, felt good. Scary, but good. She hadn't realized it until that very moment, there, with Spencer's arms around her, but it was the one thing she'd been missing over the years. Now that she had it, she was sure she'd never let it go.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Fluffy fluff, anyone? :) **

_Chapter Twelve_

"Definitely that one."

Mia turned to examine her reflection in the mirror carefully. She wore a gorgeous, silky, royal blue dress that had a snug bodice, hugging her curves in all the right places, a deep v neck, and a swishy skirt that fell to mid-thigh. Paired with a sparkly silver wrap she had at home, and a pair of strappy heels, she knew it would be the perfect number for her special dinner with Spencer that evening. Smiling widely, she spun to face Alice again, loving the way the dress flowed out around her gracefully.

"I love it!"

"Spencer will love it," Alice added with a smirk. "You may not even get to dinner."

Mia gave her friend a look before stepping back into the change room. After she'd told Alice about her happy little reunion with Spencer, her friend had insisted they go shopping for the _perfect_ outfit for her fancy date with the man. They'd decided to shut the store for a bit over the lunch hour and hurry over to a nearby boutique, where Mia had tried on each and every dress Alice deemed necessary. While she'd been happy with most of the dresses, the blue one she'd saved for last was definitely the best pick.

"Oh my gosh, I just found the perfect tie for you to give to Spencer!"

"Does it match my dress?" Mia called through the thin walls of the change rooms. "Because I don't know how he'll feel about that. It might be a little...lame..."

"Puh-lease," Alice scoffed loudly, "You're getting this one. It'll go so perfectly with that dress!"

Mia shook her head with a smile as she donned the jeans and flowy flower print top she'd been wearing earlier. She pulled on her high heeled ankle boots, grabbed her coat, purse, and blue dress, and left the change room to rejoin Alice. She found her friend by a rack of dresses, holding a pretty little black dress, eyeing it appreciatively.

"Get it," Mia prompted, "We'll have a little black dress night next weekend."

Needing no further encouragement, Alice slung the dress over her arm before handing Mia a tie the exact same shade of blue as her dress. "It's perfect, right?"

Mia nodded. "It is," she agreed, running the silky tie through her fingers. "I'll give it to him, but I don't know if he'll wear it."

"That guy will do whatever you want him to," Alice laughed as they headed towards the clerk. "You hand him a tie and he'll put it on, no questions asked."

Knowing she was right, Mia said nothing, simply smiling softly. She and Spencer had been back together for a little over a week, and things could not have been going better. He'd spent every night since their reunion at her apartment, save for the two nights he was busily working a case with the team. Whenever he was at work, he made sure to text her regularly, even if just to say hi. Just that morning he'd shown up at the shop shortly after they'd opened with two steaming cups of coffee for the girls, a tray of still warm pastries, and a bunch of flowers. He was beyond adorable.

"So, when are you going to admit it?" Alice asked a few moments later, as they stepped out into the chilly, gloomy grey day and headed back towards the shop.

"Admit what?"

"That I was right, obviously."

"About the dress?" Mia inquired, glancing at her friend curiously. "I already said you were right. I bought the dress, didn't I?"

"Not the dress, you ninny," Alice laughed. "Spencer. I was right about Spencer."

Mia frowned. "What about Spencer?"

"I told you ages ago that you needed to just suck it up and get back together with him," Alice explained knowledgably. "You two _obviously _belong together. I said you shouldn't let your brother stand in the way, and I was right. Right?"

"You were right," Mia admitted, knowing Alice wouldn't let it go until she agreed. "I knew you were right all along, I think. I was just…scared."

"You're not scared anymore?"

"Oh, no, I still am," she laughed. "Just not as much, I guess. Spencer makes it less scary."

"And what of Big Brother Aaron? Any plans to let him in on the secret any time soon?"

"Not right away," Mia replied as they reached the shop and she unlocked the door. "We'll tell him eventually, of course. Just…for right now, I think we need to focus on us and figuring things out."

"Figuring things out," Alice scoffed. "Please. You're in love. What else is there to figure out?"

"Whoa," Mia held her hand up warningly, "Too soon to use the l-word."

Alice rolled her eyes with a smirk but said nothing. Mia hurried towards her office, hiding her flushed cheeks from her far too wise best friend. Deep down, she knew Alice was right. Obviously she was crazy about Spencer. But she'd just started getting used to the idea of being together. Love was far too strong a word to be tossing about just yet, no matter how appropriate a word it may be.

For the rest of the day, Mia milled around the store, mindlessly tidying things and organizing books, chatting with customers, and joking with Alice. By late afternoon, she was practically giddy with excitement for her date with Spencer. When he phoned to announce he was finished work and on his way to pick her up, she hurried about her office, gathering her things, humming happily to herself. Alice stood by with a knowing smile, saying nothing. Mia ignored her friend pointedly. When she brought her things to the front to wait for Spencer's arrival, she glanced outside and noticed that the gloomy grey morning had turned into a dark, stormy afternoon, and couldn't help but smile. She loved the rain. She was toying with the idea of cancelling the reservation at the fancy restaurant and having a cozy night in with her man when Spencer pulled up out front in the blue Volvo she'd come to adore.

"I'm outta here," she announced excitedly, shrugging on her jacket and scooping her things up quickly. "Have a good evening! Close up whenever you want. The storm will probably have people staying at home tonight."

Alice told her to have fun with a suggestive wink, and her laughter followed Mia out into the rain. She took a moment to bask in the feeling of the rain before hurrying to the car, tossing her things in the backseat, and sinking into the front seat with a happy sigh. Spencer grinned, wiped the rain from her face, and leaned over to kiss her lightly. When he started pulling away, Mia latched onto the front of his coat, deepening the kiss for a few moments.

"We should quit our jobs and just do this," Spencer breathed when they'd separated, "All the time."

Mia laughed softly and did up her buckle as Spencer pulled away from the curb and started towards her apartment. "You brought your clothes for tonight, right?"

Spencer nodded and motioned towards the backseat. Mia glanced behind her and noticed the simple grey suit hanging behind his seat, covered carefully in the protective plastic from the dry cleaner. She smiled softly and turned back around, watching the rain hitting her window, forming intricate designs as it made its way down the glass. After a few moments Spencer reached over and took her hand in his wordlessly, his eyes staying focused on the road ahead. Mia smiled down at their laced fingers, her heart fluttering happily in her chest. If this was what happiness felt like, she wasn't quite sure what she'd been feeling before Spencer came into her life.

"Let's go outside," Mia said a while later, once they'd brought their things up to her apartment. "Before we get ready for dinner, let's go outside."

"Outside? In the rain?"

"Yes, in the rain," she smiled, grabbing his hand and leading him back towards the door. "You're not afraid of a bit of water, are you?"

"Shouldn't we grab an umbrella? Or maybe our coats?"

Mia ignored him, leading him down the hall, up some stairs, and through the heavy metal door that led to the roof. Spencer protested once more as they stepped out into the chilly rain, causing Mia to laugh. Spinning around to face him, she beamed, watching his hair quickly become drenched, plastering itself to his forehead in adorable wet curls. Spencer simply gazed down at her, his brow furrowed ever so slightly, clearly still unsure about playing in the rain. When a streak of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a clap of thunder, Mia laughed at his wide eyed surprise.

"Dance with me."

"What?"

"Dance, with me," she repeated slowly. "Please?"

Spencer obligingly took her hand, pulling her up close against him. "We're going to catch pneumonia."

Mia's smile grew as they began revolving on the spot. "Don't be silly," she laughed, "It's just a bit of rain. C'mon, it's romantic."

Pulling him with her, Mia picked up the pace, turning their slow little dance into extravagant twirls about the rooftop. As she laughed happily, thoroughly enjoying herself, Spencer loosened up until he was laughing with her, heedless of the rain and wind and thunder. They spun in wide circles, holding each other tightly, splashing through the puddles like gleeful children. In no time their clothes were soaked through to the skin, and Mia's top clung to her body in a way that had Spencer's eyes glittering with unspoken desire. Their spinning came to an abrupt halt as he hauled her up against his body, kissing her deeply. Mia's childish glee at the rain disappeared, replaced instead with a dark cloud of desire that blocked out everything else in the world. She melted into Spencer, her arms snaking up around his neck, her hands tangling themselves in his hair. After a few moments, Spencer pulled away, breathing heavily.

"I get it," he said, his voice husky, "The rain. Romantic. I get it."

Mia smirked and allowed him to take her hand and lead the way back inside, hurrying down stairs towards her apartment. They barely made it through the door before they were back in each other's arms, their lips crashing together desperately, and their hands all over each other. Wet shirts were peeled off and tossed to the floor carelessly as they made their way towards the bathroom, a steamy shower in their immediate future. Mia suddenly had a whole new appreciation of thunderstorms.

* * *

"Garcia, I'm fine."

"I called you three times!" The anxious analyst exclaimed loudly. Spencer groaned inwardly. "I was about to hack the GPS on your phone! Where on earth are you?!"

"I was outside," he replied vaguely. "It was raining. My phone was in my bag. I didn't hear it. Stop panicking."

"Well maybe you should turn the volume up," Garcia said crankily. "I was worried."

"I'm sorry I worried you."

"You're sure you're okay?"

"Garcia, I'm _sure_."

While Garcia launched into another tirade about how worried she'd been, and all the terrible scenarios she'd imagined when she couldn't get a hold of him, Spencer gazed towards Mia's closed bedroom door. After the most unbelievably amazing shower of his life, she'd wandered around wearing nothing but a towel, doing her hair and makeup, helping Spencer tie the tie she'd bought him, and, more than anything, sorely tempting him to forget about their fancy date that evening and insist they go to bed and stay there. Eventually she'd kicked him out, claiming she had to get dressed and he couldn't see her until she was finished, and he'd dug his phone out of his bag to find he'd missed several calls and text messages from the team.

"Garcia," he said suddenly, cutting his friend off midsentence, "Why did you need to get a hold of me?"

"What?"

"You weren't calling just to freak out on me," he pointed out, dreading the answer he knew was coming. "What's up?"

"Oh, right." He could imagine the pout on the chatty blonde's face. "Uh, there's a case. Augusta, Kansas. They called Hotch directly, I guess."

Spencer shut his eyes, scrubbing his hand over his face with a resigned sigh. Of course there was a case. As Garcia began spouting off the details she'd been given, Spencer reopened his eyes in time to watch Mia step out of the bedroom, a breathtaking vision in blue. He swallowed a few times, eyeing her up and down, from the top of her curly updo to the toes of her impossibly high heels. She smiled at him shyly, doing a small twirl to show off her dress. Regret washed over him.

"Reid? You still there?"

"I'm here, Garcia," he managed to choke out. "I'll be there soon."

Mia's face fell as he hung up the phone. "You have to go."

It was a simple statement, spoken almost casually, but it somehow caused Spencer's heart to ache painfully. "Yeah," he nodded, "Someone in Kansas contacted Hotch directly. I guess it's a bad one."

"They're all bad ones, Spence," Mia smiled ruefully. "Otherwise you wouldn't have to go."

Spencer dropped his phone in his bag before closing the gap between them. Brushing a stray curl from her pretty blue eyes, he sighed. "You look amazing."

Mia smiled up at him sadly. "I'll call the restaurant and cancel the reservation. You should change out of your suit before going in."

Dipping his head slightly, Spencer pressed a quick kiss against her lips. "I'm sorry, Mia," he said, "So, so sorry."

"Don't be," she replied softly. "This is what we're signing up for, right? This is what you do. You save people. What kind of person would I be if I got upset at you for saving lives?"

Spencer managed a smile. "I'll make it up to you. I swear."

Mia nodded. "I know. Now hurry. Go be a hero."

Very reluctantly, Spencer stepped past her into the bedroom to change his clothes. He listened as Mia called the restaurant and cancelled their reservations, promising to reschedule as soon as she knew what their availability was like before thanking the person on the other end and hanging up. When he finished changing, he walked down the hall and found her in the living room, curled up in her favourite chair, staring off into space sadly. Guilt stabbed at him at the sight of unshed tears glistening in her bright blue eyes.

"Maybe I don't go," he suggested, sinking to his knees in front of her. "I'll call them right now and say I'm sick."

Mia was quiet a moment, gazing at him thoughtfully. Finally she shook her head, blinked away the tears, and smiled at him. "You can't," she said quietly. "Somebody needs your help. I can wait."

"I don't want to go."

"You have to," she replied, leaning forwards to kiss him. "You're the team's resident genius. What would they do without you?"

"They'd manage for one case, I'm sure."

Mia stood, tugging Spencer up with her. "No," she said firmly, the sadness gone from her eyes. "We're going to have to figure this out eventually for us to work. When Aaron finds out about us, I don't want him thinking I'm going to keep you from doing your job properly just because I want you to myself. Go. Solve the case. I promise I'll be here waiting when you get home."

Spencer kissed her once more, gave her a brief hug, grabbed his things, and headed for the door. Turning back as he stepped out into the hall, he found Mia watching him, the sadness she'd hidden ever so briefly back, tears sparkling at the corner of her eyes. Spencer fought the urge to go back, to stay and forget about his job, but he knew she was right, knew they'd need to get used to this if they were going to be together, and pulled the door shut behind him. As he started down the stairs towards the main floor, he told himself that distance made the heart grow fonder. Then rolled his eyes at the cliché. Yeah, right. He wasn't even one floor down and already the distance was too much. He vowed then and there that he would solve this case faster than he'd ever solved before, and he'd be back with Mia before she had a chance to miss him.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: As promised, three chapters today. Some more fluffy fun. Enjoy! :)**

_Chapter Thirteen_

**I'll be there soon. You're ready to go?**

Mia glanced at the message and quickly sent a reply, assuring Alice that she'd been ready for a while, and insisting that she stop pestering her and hurry up. It had been two days since her date with Spencer had been so rudely interrupted by the FBI, and though she'd spoken to him frequently since he'd landed in Kansas, she found herself missing him more than she thought possible—or healthy, for that matter. When Alice had called that morning and asked if she wanted to go out for dinner, she'd agreed without hesitation, knowing some distraction would do her some good. When Alice had then suggested she wear her pretty new blue dress, she'd been reluctant at first, wanting to save it for her re-do date with Spencer, but Alice had been convincing, and she now stood in her living room, wearing the blue dress with her strappy black heels and sparkly silver wrap, just as she had forty eight hours previously. Her hair fell about her shoulders in loose curls, she wore very little makeup, and in her tiny clutch purse she had a pair of flats hidden for when she grew tired of the heels. Knowing Alice, there would be dancing and drinking following dinner, so Mia was certain she'd be kicking the heels off in no time.

**Surprise!**

Alice's text message was almost immediately followed by a knock at Mia's front door, announcing her friend's arrival. Frowning slightly at her phone, she hurried to let Alice in. Upon opening the door, however, she found Spencer standing before her, wearing his grey suit and the blue tie that so perfectly matched her own dress, holding a bouquet of white lilies. Mia gazed at him in shock for a few moments before smiling slowly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Surprise," he grinned, repeating Alice's text. "I'm here for our date."

Mia accepted the flowers he handed her and let him kiss her gently before narrowing her eyes with a smirk. "Where's Alice?"

"Oh, on her way home I suppose," he shrugged. "She said something about a bottle of wine and some ice cream? I'm not sure what she was going on about."

"So she was lying to me."

It was more a statement than question, but Spencer nodded gleefully anyway. "Don't be too upset with her, though," he chided. "I asked her to lie."

Mia led the way into the kitchen, set the flowers down on the counter gently, and then turned to smile at her adorable Spencer Reid. "You should probably know that I'm not a big fan of surprises."

Spencer shrugged, grinning his lopsided grin. "You should probably get used to them."

Laughing softly, Mia threw her arms around his neck, and he immediately wrapped his own arms around her, holding her close. "I'm glad you're back," she said quietly, pulling back just enough to look up into his eyes. "I missed you."

"I missed you more," Spencer replied before his mouth claimed hers in a toe-curling, earth-shattering kiss that left Mia feeling slightly shaky and dazed. Spencer simply smirked. "Ready for dinner?"

"I'd be happy to skip it," Mia replied, tugging at his tie suggestively. "I'm not all that hungry…"

Spencer laughed. "Let's have dinner," he said, taking her hand and leading her towards the door, "And then hurry back here."

"For dessert," Mia added cheekily.

Spencer grinned at her, his eyes telling her he wanted nothing more than to skip right to dessert. When she'd locked her apartment door, he turned and led her not towards the main floor, as she'd expected, but towards the rooftop, where they'd had their rainy dance two nights previously. Mia began to ask what he was doing, but he shushed her and hurried up the stairs, pushing the heavy metal door open, and stepping aside so Mia could exit first. What she found caused her breath to catch in her throat momentarily.

Sparkling white lights hung from the brick exterior of the stairwell, stretching across to a cluster of strange pipes and vents, creating a twinkly little canopy over a familiar red and white picnic blanket. Earlier, while she'd been getting ready, she'd thought she'd heard a set of voices coming from the rooftop, but she'd assumed it was another couple in the building, enjoying the view of the city as she and Spencer had done. It hadn't even occurred to her that Spencer and Alice were upstairs, preparing the most romantic little dinner she'd ever imagined.

Turning to face Spencer, she smiled. "You did this for me?"

"I promised I'd make it up to you," he replied simply. "I thought this would be more…intimate than a restaurant."

Taking her hand once more, Spencer led her over to the picnic blanket and helped her into a seated position, waiting until she'd arranged her dress properly before joining her. Smiling at her happily, he reached for the picnic basket and began laying out their food—deli sandwiches, fruit salad, cheese and crackers, chocolate almonds, and a bottle of wine. The perfect picnic, with the most perfect man. Mia was beyond happy. She made a mental note to thank Alice profusely for her involvement in the surprise.

They ate dinner, chatting contentedly about nothing in particular, and sat drinking wine for a while afterwards until Mia began to shiver and Spencer insisted they go inside. They gathered up the picnic gear, unplugged the twinkly lights, and headed for the warmth of her apartment, both suddenly feeling the effects of the wine they'd been sipping. When they'd deposited everything onto the kitchen counter, they grabbed the remnants of their wine, kicked off their shoes, and curled up on the couch in each other's arms. They were discussing an Italian novel Spencer had read on the plane ride home from Kansas when Mia's phone began ringing.

"It's Aaron," she announced, glancing at the picture of her brother and nephew that popped up as caller ID. "I have to answer it or he'll freak more than Garcia did on you."

Spencer laughed softly. "I'll be quiet."

"Big brother," Mia greeted, leaning back against Spencer's chest, drawing her legs up and draping them over his. "What's up?"

"Figured I'd check in," Aaron replied. Mia could hear Jack yammering in the background. "What're you up to?"

"Just relaxing," she told him simply. "Why's Jack Attack still up? It's way past his bedtime."

"Yeah, I know," Aaron laughed, "But I haven't been home in a couple of days, and he wanted to stay up. I just couldn't say no."

They chatted for a few minutes, discussing everything from the case he'd just returned from—very briefly, however, because he tried to keep her as far away from his work as possible—to Jack's progress in school. While she talked, Spencer sat quietly, playing with her hair absently while he sipped the last of his wine. Mia could not have been more content if she'd tried.

"So, tomorrow night the team is going out for drinks," Aaron said, "And karaoke, apparently. You should come."

"Oh, I don't know," Mia said slowly, glancing at Spencer and biting her lower lip. "I've already intruded on one team get together…"

"Don't be ridiculous," her brother scoffed. "The team loved you, you loved the team. And you love karaoke. It'd beat sitting at home alone two nights in a row."

Oh, if only he knew. Mia smiled softly. "Yeah, okay," she conceded. "I'll come."

They made arrangements for Aaron to pick her up, chatted a few more moments, and then said their goodbyes. Mia turned her phone to silent before setting it aside and snuggling closer to Spencer. He wrapped his arms around her while she pulled her favourite knit throw over their bodies. She was so comfortable she couldn't imagine ever wanting to get up.

"So, karaoke tomorrow," she commented, lacing her fingers with his and smiling softly. "Good idea or bad?"

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously. "Like, karaoke in general?"

"Karaoke in general is _always _a good idea," Mia laughed. "I mean us both being there."

"Why would that be a bad idea?"

"I don't know," Mia shrugged. "I mean, the whole team will be there. My brother will be there. Everyone will be drinking. What if we let something slip and they figure it out? I don't think I'm ready for that quite yet…"

Spencer was quiet a moment. "I don't think anyone will figure anything out," he said thoughtfully, "As long as you're careful."

Mia sat up slightly and turned to face him with a smile. "As long as _I_ am careful?"

"Yeah," he nodded, smirking at her. "As long as you don't do any of the things you know will make me forget who we're with and blow our cover."

Mia arched an eyebrow at him. "Such as?"

Spencer shrugged. "Pretty much everything you do makes you irresistible. It's a very long list."

"Well then," Mia laughed, getting up and sauntering towards the bedroom, "I guess we'd better have some fun tonight so maybe we have a shot at self-control tomorrow."

* * *

"I can't believe I let you children talk me into this."

"Oh quit pretending you're some crotchety old man and admit you're looking forward to tonight."

"I'm seriously thinking of going home. A bottle of wine and a nice cigar would be much more preferable."

"David Rossi you party pooper. Suck it up."

Rossi gave Prentiss a dirty look and was about to come back with what surely would have been a snippy retort when he was distracted by a pair of newcomers. "Ah, Mia! Good to see you!"

Spencer glanced up from the text message he'd just received from Mia, saying she looked forward to hearing him sing (despite his insistence that he wouldn't be going up on stage), and found her walking towards the group that had gathered outside the karaoke bar. He immediately felt his confidence in his ability to hide his feelings waver. Mia wore a pair of skin tight, dark jeans, a white button down top, and a pair of shiny red heels. It was a simple outfit, and would have been nothing extraordinary on anyone else, but Spencer was pretty certain Mia would have been stunning in a potato sack. When they locked gazes and Mia smiled softly, Spencer had to swallow three times before he felt he'd be able to speak if called on.

"Why are we all waiting out here?" Hotch asked, eyeing the group while Mia hugged Rossi happily. "Who are we waiting on?"

"Morgan's running late," Prentiss explained, "He should be here any minute."

Right on cue, Morgan hurried up to the group, sidling up in between Garcia and Mia and giving both women one armed hugs. Spencer frowned at the strange bit of jealousy that washed over him when Morgan kept his arm draped over Mia's shoulder as he greeted the rest of the team. He wasn't sure if it had been his imagination or not, but Spencer could have sworn that Morgan glanced his way with a hint of a smirk before leading both Mia and Garcia into the karaoke bar, his arms still around both women. Spencer gave his head a small shake as he followed the rest of the group silently, telling himself that jealousy was a completely useless and unnecessary emotion. Jealousy would get him nowhere, and if he acted on his emotions, thus admitting his relationship with Hotch's sister, Mia would likely never speak to him again. He had to relax.

Much later, a few rounds of drinks into the evening, Spencer sat across a tall round table from Mia, toying with the straw in his glass quietly. Mia, the social butterfly, was chatting animatedly with Garcia and, to his irritation (and then further irritation because he was irritated in the first place), Morgan. Spencer was jealous, and a jealous Spencer was a grumpy Spencer. While they were doing a fine job at hiding their relationship, which was the goal for the evening, Spencer found himself wanting to stand on his stool and announce it to the bar so he could stop pretending and simply enjoy an evening out with his girlfriend. This secret romance aspect to his otherwise perfect relationship was quickly losing its appeal.

"So, Little Hotch," Morgan said loudly, leaning forwards and grinning at Mia, "You gonna get your butt up there and sing?"

Mia laughed softly, sipping her drink with a sly little smirk. "Oh, I don't know," she shrugged. Her flirtatious tone bothered Spencer. He silently scolded himself. "If Aaron's game, I guess. The first song is always sung with at least one of the boys."

Hotch laughed, but said nothing. Garcia gave her an incredulous look. "You don't seriously think Boss Man would get up there?"

Morgan chimed in with "Do you not know the guy?"

"He sings!" Mia exclaimed, shooting her brother a bright smile. "He and Sean brought me to my first karaoke bar! They taught me to sing!"

The team erupted in a chorus of laughter—all except Spencer, of course, who sat with a fake smile on his face, his gaze locked on a blue poster on the wall behind Mia. "I don't know about Big Brother Aaron," Rossi chortled, "But Unit Chief Hotch does _not _sing."

"Aaron, you have to show them that you can sing!"

Spencer glanced at his boss to see his reaction. One of Aaron Hotchner's very rare smiles, which seemed to be reserved only for Jack and Mia, graced his face as he shook his head. "I'm not getting up there, Mia."

"What! Why!" Mia seemed genuinely surprised. Spencer couldn't help but smile at the outraged expression she was struggling to maintain. The alcohol she was downing with the rest of the team seemed to be hitting her all at once. "Is it because the team's here and you have some cranky, no-fun reputation to uphold?"

"I am not cranky!"

Mia downed the last of her cocktail and set her glass on the table before grinning at her brother. "Prove it."

Five minutes later, Mia won the argument. Ten minutes later, Mia and Hotch returned from their performance of some song Spencer didn't know. They were met with cheers and applause from the team. While everyone pounced on Hotch, exclaiming that they'd never seen that side of him, Spencer focused on Mia, who smiled at him. He returned her smile easily, his grumpiness momentarily forgotten under the spell of her pretty blue eyes.

"I didn't know you could sing."

She winked brazenly. "I have many secret talents, Dr. Reid."

When she bit her lower lip and lowered her gaze shyly a moment later, it took every ounce of willpower Spencer had not to reach across the table and kiss her then and there. When Garcia engaged her in conversation once more, Spencer reached for his phone and sent her a quick message. Seconds later she reached for her phone when it buzzed, scanned the message, smiled to herself, nodded almost imperceptibly without looking at him, and turned back to Garcia. Satisfied with her reaction, Spencer got to his feet and announced he was leaving.

An hour later, when the knock came at the door, a very impatient Spencer jumped to his feet and hurried to unlock it, not even bothering to check the peephole. The moment the door swung open, Mia launched herself at him without so much as a 'hello.' Still feeling uncharacteristically possessive, Spencer pulled her close, deepening the kiss in a way he knew would leave Mia breathless. When they broke apart, Mia blinked up at him, her blue eyes clouded with obvious desire. Spencer's irritating, jealous qualms were immediately laid to rest. As she brushed past him and led the way towards the bedroom, shucking clothes as she went, Spencer smirked to himself. Secret or not, this unbelievable woman was his, and his alone.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Look at me go! Four chapters in less than a week! I'm almost finished writing the last chapter, so now it's just a matter of posting in a timely matter. And then working like a madwoman on the sequel. :) Enjoy! xox**

_Chapter Fourteen_

"Have a good day!"

Mia smiled and watched the elderly couple leave the store arm in arm before moving to lock the door and shut the curtains. Humming softly to herself, she began tidying the shop, wondering vaguely if the BAU had returned from their latest case yet. She hadn't seen Spencer in three and a half days, and missed him more than she thought was possible. It took a lot of effort to not worry endlessly about both him and Aaron while they were away, and even now the radio silence from both of her favourite men had her heart aching.

When she'd finished tidying things and closing up the cash register, Mia headed for the second floor, grabbed a random book from the shelf, and fell into an overstuffed armchair. She needed to distract herself from the sadness—bordering on unhealthy—that Spencer's absence caused her, and reading was the only sure way she could think of. She'd barely been reading for ten minutes, though, when there was a sudden knock at the door downstairs. So much for escaping reality. Not wanting to deal with any more people for the day she ignored the knock, returning to her book. Moments passed before a second, much louder knock came.

Sighing, Mia set the book aside and climbed to her feet before walking slowly down the spiral staircase. When she reached the door she peeked through the curtains, immediately feeling her heart jump excitedly. Standing there, in the light of the setting sun, his hair rippling in the chilly breeze, a lovely bouquet of brightly coloured flowers in hand, was her beloved Spencer Reid. She would never tire of his showing up unannounced with bunches of pretty flowers in lieu of an apology for his absence.

"You're here!" She exclaimed excitedly as she pulled the door open and threw her arms around his neck. "I missed you!"

Spencer laughed softly, returning her embrace before stepping back and handing her the flowers. "I missed you, too."

Smelling the flowers happily, Mia turned and led the way back into the shop. While Spencer shut and relocked the door, she laid the bouquet on the counter carefully, smiling softly. She turned slowly and found Spencer watching her, his dark eyes glittering with obvious desire. Before she had even a moment to react, he'd crossed the short distance between them, hauled her up against his body, and kissed her deeply. She smiled against his mouth, melting into him immediately. She so loved his very rare take-charge moments.

Within minutes her knit cardigan had fallen to the ground, quickly followed by Spencer's pullover sweater. He was pushing the straps of her dress from her shoulders, she working at opening his button down top, when, as luck would have it, her phone vibrated loudly from the desk behind her. Spencer stopped, his hands on her bare shoulders, breathing heavily. Mia leaned her forehead against his chest with a sigh, willing her phone to shut up. When it continued to buzz annoyingly, she turned and reached for it, ready to turn it off and toss it aside.

"It's Aaron," she breathed upon seeing the photo of her brother and nephew, both grinning widely up at her. Her big brother sure had rotten timing. It was as if he knew what she was up to. "I have to answer it."

Spencer nodded. "Be fast."

She smiled up at him softly before hitting the answer button. "Aaron, hi. You're home?"

"Yeah, just walked in," her brother replied, sounding tired. "Sorry I didn't call while I was gone."

"I'm sure you were busy," Mia shrugged, her eyes shutting and her breath catching in her throat as Spencer began trailing kisses along her shoulder. "It's not your fault. I'm just glad you're okay."

"I'm fine," he assured her. "Look, I know you're probably busy closing up at the shop, and Jess with be here with Jack right away, so I won't keep you. I just wanted to let you know that the Sean is going to be in town tomorrow, so we were thinking we'd do dinner when you and Jack are done at the museum. "

"Um…" Mia was finding it extremely difficult to concentrate while Spencer silently unzipped her dress, his breath hot on her bare skin. "Uh…yeah, okay. Sounds good."

She only half listened as Aaron promised to see her the following evening, hanging up and tossing her phone aside the moment he said goodbye. Returning her full attention to Spencer, she allowed him to tug her dress down so it fell to the floor, pooling about her feet. Not entirely keen on defiling her storefront, Mia grabbed his hand and led the way to her office hurriedly. Spencer grinned excitedly as she pushed everything from her desk with a quick sweep of her arms before turning to eye him suggestively. As he went back to kissing her, his hands exploring her curves appreciatively, Mia got lost in the moment, so unbelievably happy and, she realized absently, completely in love.

* * *

"Hey, guys!" Aaron grinned as Mia and Jack burst through the door, both laughing happily. Mia tossed him the keys to the SUV she'd borrowed for the day, and he caught them easily. "How was your day?"

"It was so much fun, Daddy!" Jack exclaimed, hugging his father tightly when Aaron kneeled down in front of him. "I saw the dinosaurs, and Spencer got to feed a giant spider! Auntie Mia was too scared to, though."

Aaron glanced up at Mia curiously. "Spencer?"

"Yeah," she nodded, giving him what she hoped was an innocent smile. "Reid had Henry for the day, and I guess had the same idea I did. We ran into them just after we got there, and the boys were excited to see each other, so we hung out for a while."

Accepting her explanation without further question, Aaron turned his attention back to Jack. Mia let out a quiet sigh of relief at her brother's complete obliviousness. She'd neglected to mention that her day with Jack had included Spencer and Henry from the beginning, and knew that Spencer had done the same with JJ. They'd even been careful to make it seem like an accident to the boys, just in case they decided to mention it to their parents afterwards. They'd spent a lovely day at the National Museum of Natural History, and both boys had enjoyed themselves immensely. Mia had to admit that she'd had just as much fun as the children, exploring the different exhibits and seeing Spencer's own childlike enthusiasm.

"Sean's already on his way to the restaurant," Aaron commented, getting to his feet and brushing his pants off. "You guys hungry?"

Jack nodded enthusiastically, grinning up at his father. Mia smiled. "Starved. The Jack Attack wanted fries from McDonalds on the way home," she said, "But the mean old aunty I am, I made him wait."

Aaron laughed. "Don't worry, bud," he said, ruffling his son's hair, "There'll be French fries at the restaurant we're going to, and they'll be way better than McDonalds. Promise."

While Aaron sent Jack to change into something a bit nicer for dinner, Mia ducked into the guest room to do the same. She shucked the jeans and t-shirt she'd donned for their museum trip and slipped into a simple cream colored shift dress and dark blue cardigan before moving to the mirror to tend to the hair and makeup situation. Her curls were unruly and couldn't be tamed, so she pulled them to the side and secured them in a messy bun, fixed her mascara, grabbed her bag, and hurried to the door, where an impatient Aaron and even more impatient Jack stood.

Despite the rush hour traffic, the drive to the restaurant was relatively quick, and in next to no time Mia was watching Jack launch himself at his favourite uncle. She stood by with a small smile while Sean patiently listened to Jack's yammering for a few moments before straightening and turning to her. He hadn't been able to get time off work long enough to visit, so she hadn't seen him since before her three-year stint overseas. While she loved Aaron with all her heart, and they were certainly growing closer, she'd always been closest to Sean. Their age gap was less extreme than the one she had with Aaron, so they'd managed to connect on a level that she hadn't had with their eldest sibling. Excitement washing over her, Mia beamed and threw her arms around her brother's neck, hugging him tightly. Sean wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and the two stood there, in the middle of the crowded restaurant, silently embracing.

"God I missed you, Bug," Sean said finally, taking a step back and smiling at her. "There will be no more living in Asia, got it?"

Mia smiled at the use of her childhood nickname and nodded. "Got it."

Dinner was beyond perfect. Mia hadn't realized how much she'd missed Sean until he was right next to her, talking and laughing and reminiscing, his arm resting lightly on the back of her chair. As she sat there with three of her favourite people in the entire universe, she marvelled at how unbelievably lucky she was. She had two amazing, albeit often overbearing older brothers, an adorable little nephew whom she adored, and a boyfriend she was almost certain she'd fallen madly in love with the moment they met. She'd traveled the world extensively, seen things most people only saw in photos, made friends from all corners of the planet, and yet it was here, with her family and an adorable genius, that she'd found true happiness.

They ate at a leisurely pace, spending much of the evening catching up and simply enjoying each other's company. When dessert was served, Aaron, Sean, and Mia all divided their respective plates into three equal servings, and then traded amongst themselves so that each sibling had a bit of everything, something they'd done for as long as Mia could remember. Despite their insistence that he partake in the family ritual, Jack refused to share his monstrous piece of chocolate cake, and dove into it with such gusto that it came as no surprise when he began complaining of a stomach ache not long later. Aaron signaled for the bill before announcing that it was time to head home and get to bed.

"I don't have to be back until tomorrow afternoon," Sean said, turning to Mia while their brother paid the waitress. "We could go out for a few drinks, if you want. Hang out for a while. I'll just crash on your couch, and catch the train in the morning."

"Yes! That sounds great," Mia smiled without hesitation. She and Spencer had planned to get together when she was finished with dinner, but she was sure he'd understand her need to cancel. "Aaron, you should come. I'm sure Jess would watch Jack Attack."

"You guys go ahead," Aaron said, getting to his feet and helping his tired little boy into his coat. "I don't want to bother Jessica…she never has a weekend to herself. Besides, I get to see you all the time. You and Sean haven't had a chance to just hang out. Go. Have fun."

Hugs were exchanged and promises made to make family dinners a more frequent event before Aaron and Jack climbed into Aaron's SUV and Sean hailed a cab for him and Mia. They chose a quiet little pub not far from Mia's apartment and, while Sean found a table and ordered a round of drinks, Mia excused herself to the washroom. Once safely inside the ladies' room, she pulled out her phone and dialed Spencer's number.

"Hey," he greeted, and Mia could hear the smile in his voice. "How was dinner?"

"It was good," she replied, leaning back against the counter. "Really good, in fact. The only thing missing was you."

Spencer laughed softly. "Where are you now? At home yet?"

"Actually, Sean decided to stay overnight so we could hang out," she told him. "I don't think we'll be seeing each other tonight, after all. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You never see your brother, I'm glad you get to spend some time with him."

"So you don't mind?" Mia had known he'd be okay with it, but it was still nice to hear. "He'll be leaving before noon tomorrow, so we can spend the afternoon together."

"I don't mind," Spencer assured her. "Let me know when he's gone tomorrow and I'll come over."

Mia thanked him for being so sweet, he promised to see her the next day, and they said their goodbyes. After double checking her hair in the mirror, she turned and headed back out to the dimly lit booth Sean had chosen. As she settled in across from Sean, a waiter appeared and set down a bowl of peanuts, a beer for her brother, and a frozen pink drink of some sort for her. She smiled her thanks up at him and watched him go before turning her attention to Sean.

"What's this?"

"A daiquiri," he shrugged. "Figured you'd want something girly."

Mia laughed and took a sip. "As long as it's not tequila," she commented lightly. "Though, just for future reference, I learned to like beer while I was gone."

"Duly noted," Sean nodded. He took a swig of his beer before leaning forwards, resting his arms on the table. "So, what's his name?"

"Who, the waiter?" Mia frowned, glancing towards the bar, where their waiter stood chatting with the bartender. "I'm not sure. Did he even give us his name?"

"Not the waiter, dummy," Sean smirked. "The guy."

"What guy?"

"The guy you're dating."

Mia's eyes went wide for a split second before she feigned confusion and frowned at him over her drink. "What are you talking about?" She asked innocently. "There is no guy."

"No use lying to me, Bug," he said, his eyes sparkling with laughter. "Aaron hasn't said anything, so I assume he doesn't know. Big brother may be oblivious, but we both know I know you almost as well as you know yourself. Now, spill."

For a few moments, Mia gazed at her drink, running a finger across the sugary rim absently. Sean was right, he'd always been able to read her like a book. Although she'd made an effort to hide her new relationship from both brothers, she wasn't all too surprised that Sean had figured things out. She'd probably made some small comment that, to anyone else, would have gone unnoticed. With Sean, though, there was no going unnoticed. Aaron, being the oldest, had always been the unwaveringly overprotective one. Sean had always been a confidant, had always listened before acting, and had developed an uncanny ability to seemingly read her mind.

Should she tell him? She and Spencer had been so happy lately, things had been going so well, that she'd been seriously considering coming clean to Aaron and the rest of the team. She was tired of keeping things a secret, tired of hiding how perfect her life truly was thanks to the brilliant Spencer Reid. Still, she'd promised herself that Aaron would be the first to find out, to soften the blow as best as possible when the time came. If she told Sean first, and Aaron found out, he'd be even angrier. However, the thought of sharing with her more-understanding, less-cranky, not-as-freak out-prone older brother first was definitely appealing. She could get his advice on how to broach the subject with Aaron.

Finally, she sighed. "If I tell you, you can't tell Aaron," she said, her gaze meeting his again. "I need to be the one to tell him. If he finds out from someone else, he'll flip. I'm going to tell him, I promise…I'm just…not sure how to."

"Now I'm even more intrigued," Sean said, setting his beer down. He eyed Mia thoughtfully for a moment. "Okay, fine. I won't tell him. Now, let's have it. Who's the guy? What's his name?"

"Spencer Reid."

"Spencer Reid," he repeated slowly with a slight frown. "Why do I know that name?"

"You've probably met him before," Mia replied, "Or at least heard Aaron mention him. He's part of the BAU."

"He's an agent?!" Sean's eyebrows shot up and his face split into a grin. "You're dating an FBI agent! Now the whole 'don't tell Aaron' thing makes a bit more sense!"

Mia nodded. "You'd better not say anything to him."

Sean ignored her. "Reid! He's the young one, with the hair," he said excitedly, waving his hands about his head. "Oh, Bug, I can't believe you're dating one of Big Brother's agents! He's not going to be too impressed. He doesn't want you involved in any of that!"

"I know," she sighed, "Which is why I don't know how to bring it up!"

"How long has it been going on?"

"Um…a while. Almost two months, I guess."

"_Months_?!" Sean gaped at her. "Mia, you've been with this guy for a couple of _months_ and Aaron doesn't know yet? Never mind him hating that you're together. He's going to flip because you kept it from him for so long! Why haven't you told him?"

Mia groaned and slumped back in her seat. "I wanted to be sure that we were serious before I said anything."

"Well? Are you serious?"

Smiling despite herself, Mia nodded. "Yeah," she replied quietly. "I'm pretty sure I'm…um…in love."

Sean grinned. "Wow, I don't think I've ever heard you say that before. Like, ever."

"I don't think I've ever said it before. Like, ever."

"I'm happy for you, Bug." When Sean raised his drink, Mia obligingly tapped hers against it in cheers. "You know, though, Aaron will be happy for you, too."

Mia sipped her drink thoughtfully for a moment. "You think so?"

"I know so," Sean shrugged. "I mean, he won't like it…at first. But when he sees the happiness that I see, he'll get over it. I mean, he got over the bookstore, didn't he?"

"Dating an FBI agent isn't exactly the same thing, Sean."

"No, but the end result is the same," he replied knowingly. "You're happy. Aaron will see that, and nothing else will matter."

Mia smiled softly. "I hope so."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This is probably one of my favourite chapters on account of the goofy geekiness I've managed to include. Enjoy! :) **

_Chapter Fifteen_

"Oh, bloody 'ell!"

Spencer watched as Mia wiped up the sauce she'd splashed all over the counter, smiling at her fake British accent. The afternoon they'd intended on spending at the park, enjoying the cool autumn weather, had been forced indoors due to a chilly rain, and he'd somehow managed to convince her to watch Doctor Who. They'd started with the recent reprised series, and despite her reluctance, the moment the Ninth Doctor said "Run!" Mia was hooked. To his delight, after the rainy afternoon spent watching the first few episodes, she was quickly becoming obsessed. She was full of questions, which Spencer enjoyed answering, and insisted on spending the rest of the evening speaking with an accent. She was beyond adorable.

"Dinner's ready," she announced a few moments later, turning to smile at him. "Shall we eat in here, or perhaps in front of the telly?"

Spencer laughed. "In here's good," he replied, taking the pasta laden plates from her and bringing them over to her small table. "Grab the wine."

"Right away, Doctor!"

Spencer couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "I like that," he said as they took their seats. "You calling me Doctor. I like it."

"I'll keep doing it then," Mia smiled, pouring two glasses of wine. "Who's your favourite Doctor?"

"Four," he answered, accepting the glass she handed him. "He was very whimsical, kind of dark sometimes, had an absurdly long scarf, and fantastically large hair."

"Why didn't we start back at the beginning?" She asked. "Wouldn't it have made more sense?"

"Not necessarily," Spencer shook his head. "The classic series was on television for twenty six years. There was a film, and specials, and it would take ages to get through. Not that I don't recommend it, because obviously I do. But the modern series is a good place to start…it tells you what you need to know. It's a good way to ease your way into the nerdiness."

Mia nodded, and they ate in silence for a few minutes before she came up with some more questions. Spencer watched her with a smile, enjoying the way she carefully twirled her pasta around her fork, only to have it unravel as she tried to eat it, resulting in sauce on her chin. He couldn't help but laugh, which earned him an adorable dirty look. As he ate, he marvelled at his sheer dumb luck. He couldn't quite figure out how he'd managed to find the most perfect woman in the world and yet here she was, sitting across a tiny round table, eating spaghetti and discussing Doctor Who at length. She was equal parts beautiful, sweet, and geeky, and he was secretly dreading the moment he woke up and discovered that she was simply a figment of his imagination.

"You know, you kind of remind me of The Doctor," Mia announced as they tidied up their dinner mess a while later. "And I'm your Rose Tyler. You're the Doctor to my Rose."

Spencer chuckled as he dried a plate. "You think so?"

"Yeah," she nodded, smiling softly as she scrubbed at a dirty pot. "You're an adorable, kind of geeky genius, and I'm the bright and bubbly sidekick who's fallen completely head over heels in love with you."

The moment she said it, Mia clapped a soapy hand over her mouth, eyes wide. Spencer stopped drying the plate he was holding, his mouth hanging open slightly in surprise. She'd just said she was in love with him. Mia, the most amazing woman he'd ever met, was in love with him. Really? Now he was sure he was dreaming. Had she actually just said that? He'd known for a long time that he loved her; there was no denying it. Knowing her commitment phobic tendencies, however, he hadn't said anything. He gazed at her, at the fear and worry and surprise written all over her face, and felt himself smile.

"You're in love with me?"

"Oh my god," she breathed, her fake accent gone. "I didn't mean to just blurt it out like that! I just…I—"

"Love me?"

Drying her hands on her jeans absently, Mia blinked up at him, biting her lower lip nervously. "Yeah," she whispered, "I do. I love you."

Spencer set the plate he'd been holding down carefully before closing the gap between them and kissing her. "I love you, too."

Mia sighed in obvious relief, relaxing in his arms. "I've never said that before."

Spencer smiled. "Neither have I," he replied. "Never even come close."

Glancing at the sink full of dirty dishes, Mia laughed. "Not exactly the most romantic time or place, is it?"

Spencer was suddenly struck with an idea and, grabbing Mia's hand, led her to the door. Ignoring her protests and demands to know what he was doing, he led her to the heavy old door that led up to the roof, up the stairs, and out into the pouring rain. Mia shrieked the moment the cold rain hit her and, laughing, she clung to him tightly as he hurried towards the edge of the building. He wordlessly found the perfect spot, with a nice view of the dark, rainy city, and turned to her with a smile.

"Spencer, it's freezing out here!" Mia exclaimed, smiling up at him through a mess of damp curls and smudged mascara. "What are we doing?"

"Rain is romantic, right?"

"What?!"

"Rain. It's romantic," he repeated excitedly. "You said so yourself the last time we were out here in the rain."

"Understanding dawned on her face and she beamed. "Yes," she nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, I think rain is romantic."

"Great, so let's try again," Spencer grinned, pulling her close. He gazed down at her a few moments, reading the emotion evident in her bright blue eyes. "I love you, Mia."

Mia stood on tiptoe and kissed him softly. "I love you, too."

* * *

"We should do this more often."

"Go out in the rain?"

Mia smiled. "Warm each other up."

Spencer leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, smiling sleepily. Mia sighed contentedly and moved closer to him, pulling the warm blankets tighter around their bodies. They'd stayed out on the rainy rooftop for quite some time, kissing and laughing and professing their love for each other loudly, until the cold became too much to bear and they'd hurried inside to the warmth of a nice, long shower. Following their shower they'd fallen into bed, both dripping wet and completely naked, and hadn't left since.

"You don't seem scared anymore."

Mia glanced at Spencer with a small frown. "Why would I be scared?"

"We just took a pretty big step," Spencer explained, "And you fought so hard against being together in the first place, I'm just kind of…surprised that you're not, you know…freaking out."

He was right, of course. The old, commitment phobic Mia would have run for the hills the moment the l-word made its appearance. She certainly would never have been the first one to say it. With Spencer, though, things felt right. She realized with a small smile that he'd quelled her fears a long time ago. The only thing that scared her now was the thought of not being with him.

"I'm not scared anymore," Mia told him softly, lacing her fingers with his. "I was scared of getting hurt, mostly, and I know now that you'd never hurt me. Besides. Any pain would be worth it at this point."

Spencer smiled and kissed her again. "There will be no pain," he promised, "As long as I have anything to say about it."

Happiness. This was happiness. Mia had read about it, and watched movies, and even known people who claimed to have found it. She'd searched the world for it, traveled through Asia and Europe and even spent a few weeks in Africa, and it was here, in a little old apartment in DC, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, with the most perfect man she'd ever known, that she'd found true happiness. As she lay there, smiling stupidly at the man she loved, she decided that there was only one thing left to do to make that happiness become perfection.

"Speaking of big steps," she said, "I have a bit of a confession to make."

"Oh?"

Mia took a deep breath. "I told Sean about us."

Spencer's eyes went wide and his smile grew. "Really?"

"Yeah," Mia took his smile as encouragement, "And I think I'm ready to tell Aaron. And everyone."

To Mia's surprise, Spencer sat straight up, bringing the blankets with him. He laughed at her shriek of protest when the cool air hit her bare skin. "You want to tell everyone?"

Mia sat up, drawing the covers close to her chest. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay!" Spencer seemed overjoyed. "I mean, as long as you're ready."

"I'm more than ready," Mia said with a smile. "The deal was we'd wait until we knew where we were…what we were. Well, we're happy, right? We're in love? Right? I mean…are you ready?"

"Mia, I've been ready since day one," he admitted happily. "I wanted to show you off and brag and all that manly, possessive nonsense I've never really needed before. I was waiting for you."

"You realize, of course, that the moment we tell them the team will find a way to get involved?" Mia asked with a smirk. "And my brothers will go all bad cop-badder cop on you. Sean will come in, acting like he's going to kick your ass, and then Aaron brings in the badge and promises to put you away for life if you hurt me in any way, shape, or form."

Spencer laughed. "The team we can deal with together," he said. "And as for your brothers…I happen to have a very similar badge of my own, so I doubt it'll have the same effect on me that it has others."

"I sure hope so," Mia laughed. "I'd hate to see them scare you off."

"Not happening," he assured her with a quick kiss. "So this is it, then. We're telling them?"

Mia nodded. "We're telling them."

Spencer's arms immediately went around Mia, pulling her close. He kissed her, _really_ kissed her, to the point where, had they been standing, her knees would have given out. When they broke for air, Mia felt oddly dazed and breathless. She blinked at him a few times, enjoying the smug, masculine little smirk he gave her.

"Wow," she breathed, melting into him, "That was…wow. Do that again."

And he did.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I know I said the last chapter was my fav, but I actually think this one is. Maybe it's a tie. I don't know. Next chapter should be out Monday! (Been having a bit of writers block with the last chapter..buuut classes are done, so I have plenty of time to figure it out!) Enjoy! x**

_Chapter Sixteen_

Spencer sat drumming his fingers on his desk, staring up at his unit chief's office door, deep in thought. He could do it. He could march up those steps, walk into that office, and come clean to Aaron Hotchner about everything. Mia would be beyond upset, but she'd get over it. He was almost certain she'd get over it. They'd agreed that Hotch would be the first to know about their relationship, and Mia continued to insist that she be the one to tell him, but she'd been trying to find the right moment for a week now and hadn't been able to get it out.

The day after Spencer and Mia had discussed their decision to tell the team, Mia had gone to Hotch's house with the intention of telling him everything, but Jack had been sick, and Hotch had been distracted. She'd called the next day to set up a lunch date, and discovered he was in the midst of arguing with Beth. She'd shown up at the bureau in the middle of the week only to have the team rush off to a case. Spencer had had to talk her out of giving up on finding the right moment and simply telling her brother via text message or email.

If they were ever going to find the opportune moment, though, this was it. They were nearing the end of the day on a Friday, the team had just returned from a case, and everyone had plans to be away all weekend. Hotch was in a relatively good mood and had even announced that he'd be leaving for New York as soon as the day was over and would be shutting his phone off until Sunday evening. Spencer felt that his weekend away would give him time to process everything, and hopefully he'd return to DC having accepted his agent's relationship with his baby sister.

Spencer made up his mind. He was going to do it. He was going to go tell Hotch everything and deal with the outcome. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, after all. He was the one sleeping with the boss's sister. Taking a deep breath, he nodded determinedly. He briefly toyed with the idea of calling Mia and warning her, thought better of it, and got to his feet. Silently assuring himself that it was the right decision, he turned towards the small staircase that led to the catwalk, only to walk right into JJ.

"Spence," she laughed as he took a small step back, "Slow down. You okay?"

"Uh, fine," he said slowly, his resolve immediately gone. With a small sigh, he dropped back into his chair. "What's up?"

"Never mind me. What's up with _you_?"

Spencer gave his friend a questioning look. "Uh…nothing?"

"Don't lie to me, Spencer," JJ said firmly, her eyes glittering with laughter. "Spill."

"Spill?" Spencer repeated, thoroughly confused. "Spill what?"

"_Spill_," JJ said again, this time with emphasis. Spencer continued to stare at her in confusion. She rolled her eyes. "You've been acting weird lately, and I want to know why."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Spencer lied, knowing full well what had caused his change in behaviour. Avoiding the blonde's gaze, he swivelled in his chair and faced his desk. "I've got a bit of work to finish still, so if that's all…"

"Spencer Reid, look at me!" JJ waited a moment, and when Spencer remained silent she sighed. "You're keeping something from me, Spence, and I'm not leaving till I know what it is!"

Spencer ignored her.

"What's the kerfuffle, loved ones?"

Spencer groaned inwardly as Garcia joined them. He pointedly ignored both women's presence, focusing instead on neatening a stack of papers on his desk awkwardly.

"Pen, tell Spence he's been acting weird for weeks," JJ said impatiently. "He has, right? You've noticed it?"

"She's right, Boy Wonder," Garcia agreed without hesitation. "You've changed."

Spencer busied himself with the papers for a few moremoments, struggling to maintain his feigned look of innocence. When neither women spoke again, he chanced a glance up at them. They both gazed back expectantly, arms crossed over their chests, eyes narrowed, matching smirks playing across their lips. Spencer sighed.

"How have I changed?"

"You're happier," JJ explained simply. "You smile _all the time_. And you hum. When have you ever hummed? It's weird."

"You're chattier," Garcia continued excitedly. "But not normal chatty! For you, at least. You haven't quoted any obscure facts or random stats in ages, and I can't even remember the last time you invited one of us to some cheesy horror flick!"

"I don't understand," Spencer said slowly. "How is any of this bad? You guys hate my facts and statistics, and you never want to see the movies I recommend!"

"Well, it's not _bad_," JJ replied, "But it's different. We just want to know what's changed. What's making our geeky little genius so happy?"

"Nothing's changed," Spencer lied, turning back to his stack of papers. "I don't know what you guys are talking about."

"Oh my GOODNESS!" Garcia exclaimed suddenly, causing Spencer to jump. "You have a _girlfriend_!"

Spencer's eyes went wide and he looked up at his friends in shock. "What?! No I don't!"

JJ smiled widely. "You _do_! You have a girlfriend!"

Garcia clapped her hands. "Look at him blush, Jayje!"

"You guys," Spencer hissed, not wanting anyone else to hear, "Shut up!"

It was too late.

"What's going on?"

Morgan and Prentiss joined the group. Spencer shut his eyes for a split second, took a deep breath, and reopened them, hoping he'd realize he was dreaming. No such luck. He sighed. He wanted more than anything to tell his friends, his _family_, everything. He wanted to confirm their suspicions and spend hours telling them about how perfect Mia was in every way imaginable. She'd been very insistent, however, that Hotch be the first of the team to learn of their relationship, and he understood why. If Hotch took the news at all like Mia imagined he would, it would be best to get that out of the way and have things calm down before he let the rest of the team in on their happiness. As badly as he wanted to go public with their relationship, Spencer wanted more to respect Mia's wishes. The group of nosy FBI agents surrounding his desk were making that very difficult.

"Our sweet boy has a secret girlfriend!" Garcia said giddily.

"Reid, my _man_!" Morgan grinned. "The same one you told me about before? I guess fighting for her worked!"

Spencer got to his feet. "Look, you guys have fun with this," he said, keeping his tone casual and light, "I'm gonna get going."

"Gotta go see your _girlfriend_?"

Ignoring Prentiss, Spencer gave his friends a look, slung his bag across his body and pushed through the wall of agents blocking his path. They all called out to him, begging him to tell them about her, promising they wouldn't tease him. Garcia even swore not to do a background check if he'd just share. Spencer ignored them, crossing the bullpen quickly and stepping out into the blessedly empty hallway. Their voices followed him out until the glass door shut behind him. As he jogged down the stairs towards the main floor, he pulled out his phone to check for messages from Mia. She'd told him earlier in the day that the store was busy, so he wasn't surprised to find an empty inbox. He sent her a quick one telling her to call when she was finished work and he'd pick her up before dropping his phone back into his bag.

He'd known it was only a matter of time before his friends clued into his newfound happiness. He'd done his best to keep his emotions hidden at work, but his BAU family consisted of some of the best profilers in existence, and he'd never been able to keep secrets for long. He could imagine the chorus of 'told you so' he'd get when he finally did come clean. He only hoped his far too nosy friends could be patient for a little while longer.

* * *

**Clothing optional Doctor Who marathon weekend at your place starting in 30 min?**

Spencer grinned excitedly as he reread the message he'd received from Mia thirty six minutes ago. He'd immediately sent a message back, saying he'd see her soon, and had been waiting impatiently since. When there was finally a knock at his apartment door, he jumped up and hurried to answer it. Out of habit, he glanced through the peephole quickly. Mia stood in the hallway, wearing a black trench coat that reached mid-thigh and, as far as he could tell, that was it. Despite the weather that was getting chillier by the day, her legs were bare all the way down to the unseasonable sparkly stilettos she wore. Intrigued, he slid the chain out of place and threw the door open, feeling his heart skip a beat when he was welcomed by her smile.

"Hey," she breathed, kissing him quickly before brushing past him. Spencer quickly shut and relocked the door before turning to gaze happily at her. She smirked a sexy little smirk he'd come to recognize as foreshadowing to immense pleasure. "I brought you a present."

Spencer glanced at her hands quickly, but saw nothing. "Where is it?"

Mia bit her lip, eyeing him nervously for a moment, before the smirk was back and she was reaching for the sash on her coat. Spencer gulped, feeling his eyes go wide as she slowly pulled at the thin piece of fabric. When her coat fell open and he discovered that she'd shown up in nothing more than a bit of lingerie and high heels, he was certain he'd died and gone to heaven. She wore a dangerously short, completely transparent, little white dress, through which he could see her bright pink undergarments.

He suddenly forgot how to speak.

He almost forgot how to breathe.

Mia dropped the coat and spun in a slow circle. "Do you like?"

Suddenly unable to think straight, Spencer simply nodded. Mia beamed at him, grabbed his hand, and led the way to the bedroom. He wanted badly to reach out and touch her, to take her in his arms and never let go, but he couldn't seem to get his brain to work long enough to do anything but follow her, mouth hanging open ever so slightly. It occurred to him that he probably looked a bit moronic, but he couldn't have cared less. The only thing in entire world that mattered to him at that very moment was the gorgeous girl before him who, for some unknowable reason, had chosen to be with him out of all the men in the world. He was, without a doubt, the luckiest person alive.

* * *

The following day, Mia and Spencer slept past noon—very out of character for both of them, but very much so required after the night they'd had. When they were both finally awake, they stayed in bed until their stomachs demanded food and caffeine addicted bodies demanded coffee, at which point they pulled on whatever clothing was laying nearby—a pair of grey pyjama pants for Spencer, and one of his button down tops for Mia—and moved into the kitchen. Mia sat at his little kitchen table and pulled up their favourite Chinese food menu on her phone while Spencer busied himself making coffee.

"Food will be here in a half hour," Mia announced as Spencer stirred a generous amount of sugar into each steaming cup of coffee. "I ordered enough to have leftovers."

Spencer smiled and led the way into the living room, setting their coffee down carefully before falling back onto the cushy leather sofa. Mia joined him, tucking her feat underneath her and leaning into him happily. For a few moments they were both silent, the only sound being their quiet sips as they started on the coffee.

"So, I think we need to tell Hotch Monday morning," Spencer said suddenly. "Right moment or not, we've gotta tell him."

"I was thinking the same thing," Mia said slowly, "But why the sudden urgency?"

Before Spencer could say anything more there was a knock at the door, announcing the arrival of their Chinese food. "Wow, that was fast," he commented as they got to their feet. "You get the door, I'll go grab my wallet."

Mia nodded and watched him hurry off before walking over to the door. She brushed her curls out her eyes and, disregarding the fact that she wore only a shirt that fell to mid-thigh, threw the door open with a big smile. That smile disappeared almost instantaneously as she gazed in shock at the four excited faces before her. She stood there a moment, eyes wide, completely speechless, before turning to call for backup.

"Spence," she called, smiling shakily at their guests, "We have company!"

"I know, I know," he replied, hurrying towards her, wallet in hand. Heedless to her warning expression, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, smiling softly. "Geez, patience."

"I knew it."

Spencer turned with a start at Penelope's voice, his expression matching Mia's almost immediately. "Uh…" he stammered uncertainly. He glanced at Mia, who sidled closer to him, suddenly very aware that she was wearing no pants. "Um…"

"Well, you gonna invite us in?" Derek asked from where he stood between JJ and Emily, his eyes sparkling with laughter. "Or you gonna make us stand out here all day?"

Spencer and Mia obligingly stepped aside, allowing the four grinning agents to walk past them. As she pushed the door shut, Mia gave Spencer a panicked look. He returned it with one of his own before turning back to his friends. Mia took a shaky breath, tugging at the bottom of the shirt she wore, wishing desperately that she'd thought to put on pants.

"I suppose this would be the reason for the sudden urgency?"

Spencer nodded in response, giving Mia an apologetic look before turning to his friends. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We gave you a chance to tell us yourself," JJ said, smiling at the nervous, scantily clad couple. "You didn't, so we're taking matters into our own hands."

"She's wearing his shirt," Penelope pointed out excitedly, "It's almost too cute to handle!"

"Check out the kid's hair," Derek laughed.

Mia didn't have to look up to know that Spencer's hair was even more all over the place than normal.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled. "You guys go make yourselves comfortable in the living room," she said, causing Spencer to give her a surprised look. "We'll just go change into something a little more decent, and then you can grill us all you want. I guess it's a good thing I ordered too much food."

The last comment was directed at Spencer. He gave her a small, confused smile before showing the team to the living room. Mia led the way back to the bedroom, fighting the urge to giggle. The sight of the four agents, while unnerving at first, had her feeling strangely excited. This was it. There was no going back. She and Spencer would have no choice but to come clean to Aaron, and there would be no more secrets. The thought didn't terrify her in the least. If anything, she felt relief.

"I didn't tell them!" Spencer exclaimed in a frantic whisper the moment he'd joined her in the bedroom and shut the door behind them. "I swear, I didn't tell them."

Mia smiled. "I know you didn't."

"They just figured it out," he continued. "I don't know how. They just did. I knew they knew I was dating someone, but I didn't think they knew it was you. I swear."

"Spence, calm down," Mia laughed, opening his closet and searching for the dress she knew she'd left behind a few weeks ago. "We were going to tell them anyway."

"Yeah, but you wanted to tell Hotch first!"

"Yes," she agreed, tossing him a pair of jeans, "But things change. It happens. As long as they don't tell him before we can it's all good."

Spencer frowned as he pulled on his jeans. "You're not freaking out?"

"I think you're doing enough of that for the both of us," Mia said with a wink, unbuttoning the top she wore and slipping it off. "They obviously haven't told him yet. Believe me, we'd have heard from him the moment they did. Why should I be freaking out?"

"You're just taking this much better than I thought you would."

Mia shrugged, stepping into the flowery pink dress she'd found. After he obligingly zipped her up, she turned and stood on tiptoe to kiss him gently. "I told you, I'm ready for everyone to know," she said, smiling softly. "I'm happy. You make me happy. I want to tell people as much as you do."

Spencer grinned stupidly at her. "Really?"

She nodded. "Really."

While Mia neatened her hair, Spencer dug a t-shirt out of his dresser and pulled it on. He found a sweater for Mia to wear, pulled one on himself, and then they headed back out to the living room, ready to face the inquisitive FBI agents that awaited them with big smiles. All four of them had squished onto the leather couch, leaving only an overstuffed chair. As she sunk into the empty chair, Mia silently remarked that Spencer would need to invest in some more furniture if the team started to make a habit of showing up unannounced. Spencer took a seat on the arm of the chair, taking Mia's hand in his, and gazed across at his friends expectantly.

"You're not going to explain yourselves?" Emily asked after a moment, arching her eyebrows with a smile.

"First," Mia said with a smile, "I think you should explain yourselves. How'd you know?"

"We're good at what we do," Emily replied with a shrug. "You guys aren't so good at the acting."

"The way you were acting the other night, at karaoke," Penelope explained, smiling widely, "It was such a dead giveaway."

Spencer frowned. "So you're here on a hunch. That's it, nothing more. Just a hunch?"

"Well, no," JJ said slowly. "See, if you're really trying to keep your relationship a secret, you probably shouldn't let loud mouth little boys see you kissing at a museum."

Mia laughed and Spencer groaned. "Henry," he muttered with a smirk, "I should have known."

"Now that that's cleared up," Emily said, "Let's have it."

"What do you want to know?" Mia asked.

"How did this happen?" JJ inquired. "_When _did this happen?"

"Does Hotch know?" Derek asked sharply.

"You two are just _so cute_!" Penelope squealed.

Mia laughed softly and, with Spencer's help, told them how they'd met prior to learning that Mia's brother was also Spencer's boss. There was a brief interruption when the Chinese food showed up and everyone dug in ravenously. When everyone had plenty of food on their plates, Mia and Spencer continued. They gave them the whole story, leaving out only the intimate details, answering every question honestly. Though Mia was new to the whole 'sharing with others' thing, and admittedly hadn't known them very long, she could tell that Spencer was excited to finally be sharing with his friends, and his happiness was all the encouragement she needed. She was enjoying herself immensely.

"Hotch doesn't know," Spencer said, glancing quickly at Mia. "We'd really appreciate it if you guys didn't tell him."

"He's going to flip," Emily said, shaking her head. "He will just _flip_!"

"The longer you wait, the worse it'll be," Derek said knowingly. "If it were my sister you were dating, I'd have flipped on day one. By this point I'd be ready to kill."

Mia nodded. "We know," she said, leaning closer to Spencer. "We're telling him soon, I promise."

Penelope smiled softly at them both. "May the Gods have mercy on your adorable little souls."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Ack! I meant to have this out this morning, but I've had a seriously busy weekend and just got home a few minutes ago. Sorry for the wait, friends! Enjoy! :) **

* * *

_Chapter Seventeen_

Mia stood in the shower, arms hugging her achy stomach, eyes shut against the warm flow of water falling against her face. She'd been woken up early that morning by a wave of nausea and hadn't been able to fall back asleep after emptying the contents of her stomach. Spencer was still asleep, and they weren't due to leave for the BAU for more than an hour, so she'd crawled back out of bed and tiptoed to the shower with the hope that the warm water would wash away the yuck. The longer she stood there, though, the sicker she felt. After about ten minutes, she turned the hot water down and let the cool water counteract the damage the heat had done. When that didn't work, she stepped out of the shower, knelt down before the toilet, and let her stomach take over.

When she was sure she was finished, she brushed her teeth for several minutes, gargled with mouthwash, wrapped herself in a thick purple towel, and stepped out into the bedroom. She found Spencer sitting up in bed, waiting for her with a steaming cup of coffee in hand. The moment she emerged from the bathroom he set his mug down, got to his feet, and crossed the room to where she stood.

"Are you okay?" He asked, frowning in concern, pressing the back of his hand to her cheek. "Are you sick?"

She smiled weakly and shook her head. "I'm fine," she assured him. "We're never getting sushi from that all-night place ever again, though."

Spencer's frown deepened. "You're very pale," he pointed out, guiding her towards the bed. "Maybe you should stay home today, get some rest."

"We're talking to Aaron today!"

"I can talk to him," he argued, "You need to relax."

"Spence, I'm fine. I promise. Just a touch of food poisoning," she said, stepping out of his grasp and striding over to her closet to find something to wear. "Go get ready for work."

As she stood facing her closet she could sense Spencer's eyes on her and knew he wanted to protest. After a moment or so, though, he sighed in resignation and disappeared into the bathroom. Taking a deep breath and mentally telling her stomach to chill, Mia started preparing for the day. She pulled on a pair of comfy faded blue jeans and a grey oversized sweater that slid down one shoulder, and was in the midst of doing her hair when Spencer reappeared, freshly showered and shaved and glistening in the morning light. Despite the churning in her stomach, Mia smiled.

"Maybe we could both skip this morning," she suggested, piling her hair atop her head and securing it in a messy bun. "Just stay in bed all day?"

Spencer chuckled. "If I thought for a second you'd actually put off talking to your brother, I'd say yes just to get you to rest."

Mia said nothing, simply smiling softly at him in the mirror. He was right, of course. She wasn't about to stay home. She'd loved telling the team about her relationship with Spencer, and couldn't wait to tell Aaron after all this time. She was more than ready to be done with the secrecy. Part of her wondered why she'd ever been so ridiculous. She was prepared for any reaction he had, though she seriously hoped Sean had been right in saying their brother would see her happiness and simply be happy for her.

When she'd finished applying a bit of mascara and some blush to add colour to the sickly pale of her cheeks, Mia spun to face Spencer. "How do I look?"

"Great, as always," he replied with a smile, buttoning his cardigan before moving closer to her. "I'd still like it if you stayed home and got some sleep."

Mia fixed his tie before standing on tiptoe to press a quick kiss against his cheek. "I'm fine, Spence. I'll sleep later."

The ride to Quantico was quiet and blessedly quick. Mia wasn't sure how much longer she'd have lasted in the car without being sick, even with the ginger tea Spencer had insisted she pick up on the way. When they walked into the building, Mia led the way to the bank of elevators, despite her immense fear of the contraptions. Spencer, clearly sensing her fatigue, didn't question her decision. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close while they waited in silence.

"Did you two show up together?"

Mia turned with a start and found David Rossi making his way across the shiny lobby floor. She smiled softly. "We did."

"It's about time you two went public."

"I'm surprised you weren't a part of the inquisition that ambushed us Saturday afternoon," Mia commented lightly as they stepped into the elevator. "Were you not included in the conspiring?"

"I was," Dave admitted, "I just didn't feel the need to come. I've known about you guys for ages and didn't need to show up unannounced to prove my theories."

"How long have you known?"

"Since the day you came to meet the team."

Spencer laughed quietly. Mia gave Dave a wide eyed smile. "Whatever!" She exclaimed. "You couldn't have known."

"Kiddo, I've known you both long enough to see the signs," Dave grinned as their elevator reached their destination. "I'm just surprised Hotch hasn't figured it out yet."

Dave wished them both luck before pushing through the glass door that led to the bullpen, making a beeline for his office. Mia turned to Spencer and smiled. "Ready?"

Spencer nodded and kissed her quickly before taking a step back, putting a respectable amount of distance between them. "Ready."

As they'd discussed, Spencer headed for his desk while Mia went straight for Aaron's office. She'd insisted on speaking to him privately first, to ease him into the idea of her relationship with his agent, before Spencer had to face him. After one more glance in Spencer's direction, which he responded to with a reassuring smile, she turned and knocked.

"Come in."

Taking a deep, calming breath, Mia stepped into her brother's office, shutting the door tightly behind her. "Surprise."

Aaron looked up at her, a small smile lighting up his face at the sight of her. "Mia," he greeted warmly, getting to his feet and moving to hug her. "What are you doing here so early? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's good," she assured him, sinking into a chair when he released her. "I wanted to talk to you for a bit and figured now was as good a time as any."

Before Aaron could respond, the office door opened a smidge and Penelope stuck her head inside. "We're all ready for you, sir."

Aaron nodded, Penelope cast Mia an apologetic look, and the door shut again. "Sorry, sweetheart. I've gotta get to the conference room. Do you mind waiting for a bit?"

"Of course not," Mia smiled, "Go ahead. I'll be here when you're finished."

Mia watched him grab his tablet and cell phone, down the last of his coffee, and move towards the door. He stopped and looked back at her, giving her a rare, playful smirk. "No using that computer to hack into any _classified _FBI databases, got it?"

Laughing, Mia gave a little salute. "Wouldn't dream of it."

In the ten minutes that Aaron was gone, presumably discussing their latest case, Mia sat in silence, sipping her ginger tea, her eyes shut against the sunlight streaming through the window. Her stomach had finally calmed down, but she felt very tired and shaky. She chalked it up to having absolutely nothing of substance in her stomach, and made a mental note to grab a bagel from the coffee cart downstairs before leaving. By the time Aaron reappeared, she'd started dozing in the uncomfortable chair in front of his desk and jumped, sloshing tea all over her sweater, when he burst through the office door.

"Sorry," he said, flashing her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "Didn't mean to scare you."

Mia shrugged it off, setting the tea down and examining the spill. Confident that it wasn't too noticeable, she turned her attention to her brother, who was rushing about the office, tossing things into a bag that sat open on his desk. Mia recognized it as a go back, quite similar in appearance to Spencer's. She sighed inwardly.

"What did you need to talk about?" Aaron asked, pausing to look down at her. "I have a few minutes before I have to go."

"Uh, it'll probably take more than a few minutes to discuss," Mia replied slowly. "What's going on?"

"We're needed in San Francisco," Aaron explained, the stress written all over his face. "Five people have been killed in less than two weeks. We need to get there and stop whoever's doing it before anyone else is hurt."

Mia gulped. "Oh, God. That's awful."

"Yeah," he nodded. He zipped up his go bag before checking his watch. "I have six and a half minutes before I need to be on the jet. What's up?"

"Don't worry about it," Mia said, getting to her feet and making a shooing motion with her hands. "Go. The sooner you're on the jet the sooner you can go, and the sooner you've solved this and can come home."

Aaron frowned at her. "You're sure? You came all this way to talk."

"Yeah, and I can come back. Don't worry, it can wait."

Her brother seemed uncertain, but with another glance at the time he nodded and led the way out of the office. He gave her a one armed hug, pressed a kiss atop her head, and promised to take her out for dinner when he got home so they could talk. Mia watched him hurry off, disappearing through the glass door across the bullpen, before scanning the room for Spencer. He emerged from the conference room down the hall, closely followed by Dave and Derek. While Spencer came to a stop next to her, the other two men muttered their goodbyes and hurried off in the direction Aaron had gone.

"So. San Francisco."

"Yeah," Spencer sighed. "The guy's spiralling, though. Hopefully it won't take long to catch him."

"Don't you dare tell Aaron while you're gone," Mia said quietly. "You focus on the case, and you come home. That's it."

Spencer smiled. "I promise."

After another quick scan of the room, ensuring her brother hadn't returned, Mia leaned into him. His arms went around her immediately. She sighed, swallowing the tears that suddenly threatened to fall. "Be safe, okay?"

"I will," he assured her, pulling back far enough to gaze down at her. "I'll call you when I can."

Mia nodded, allowed him to kiss her, whisper that he loved her, and then watched sadly as he followed the rest of the team out of the BAU. She leaned against the railing of the catwalk, staring after him, willing herself not to cry. If she was going to be in a serious relationship with this man she was going to have to get used to him leaving regularly. It took a few moments for her to realize she wasn't alone. Taking a shaky breath, she turned to find Penelope leaning against the railing next to her, gazing in the direction the team had hurried off in.

"Does it ever get easier?"

Penelope glanced at her curiously. "What?"

"Watching them leave all the time," Mia said, turning back to gaze out over the bullpen. "Not knowing if they'll come back in one piece."

"I wish I could say it does, Sweets," Penelope replied, laying a hand over Mia's. "But I'd be lying, and I'm not such a fan of liars."

Mia nodded. "Figured as much."

"They're good at what they do, though. They'll be okay. They usually are."

"Usually," Mia repeated softly. "I don't think I like the sound of that."

* * *

**A/N: Big thanks to all of you wonderful people who read this regularly, who follow and favourite and especially to those who review. I love you all! The next chapter should be out sometime next Monday. Maybe sooner, as I have this week off school before spring term starts up, but no promises. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Happy Monday! :) **

_Chapter Eighteen_

Mia awoke with a start, feeling incredibly confused and disoriented. She sat up, pushing her hair out of her eyes, gazing around her darkened bedroom, wondering what had woken her. After a few moments, it came back to her. She'd been dreaming about Spencer, and it hadn't ended very happily. Sighing heavily, she reached for her phone and fell back into the pillows. Squinting in the bright light from the screen, she tried to ignore the disappointment and worry that stabbed at her when she found she had no missed calls or messages. The team had been called away first thing Monday morning, and had been in California for the past three days, following a seemingly endless trail of mutilated corpses. The fear that plagued her every minute the team was gone was almost overwhelming, and she found herself waiting with bated breath for a message from either Spencer or Aaron, reassuring her that they were safe.

When she couldn't fall back to sleep, she got out of bed and padded across the room to the closet, seeking whatever comfort she could find. After rummaging around in the dark for a few moments, she came across a t-shirt Spencer had left behind at some point and, smiling softly, crawled back into bed, hugging the shirt to her chest. She was being pathetic, she knew, but she didn't care. She missed him dearly, and if sleeping with a shirt that smelled like him would make her feel even the smallest bit better, she was going to do it.

She'd been lying in bed with his shirt for almost ten minutes when her phone buzzed, causing her to jump. Fearing the worst, she reached for it quickly, breathing a sigh of relief when she read Spencer's message asking if she was awake. She sent one back, telling him to call her if he was alone. Moments later, the phone rang.

"Why are you up?" He sounded exhausted.

"Couldn't sleep," she said. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he assured her. "We're all fine. Tired, but fine."

"Where are you now?" She asked, curling up beneath the covers and shutting her eyes, warmed simply by the sound of his voice. "What's happening with the case? Did you catch the bad guy yet?"

"Not yet," he sighed. "I'm in my room now. We weren't getting anywhere, so when JJ started dozing off at the station Hotch sent us all to the hotel to sleep for a few hours. I doubt any of us will manage to, though."

"Has he killed anymore?"

"Total's up to eight people," he replied tiredly. "Both men and women. There's no pattern. It's just so random."

"You'll catch him," Mia assured him. "I know you will."

"How many people will have to die before we do?"

Mia's heart broke at the anger, frustration, and guilt in his voice. "This isn't your fault, Spence. You're doing everything you can. All of you are. Don't blame yourself, please."

Spencer was quiet a moment before he sighed. "God I miss you."

"I miss you, too," Mia whispered, suddenly on the verge of tears. "I hate this. Being apart. I hate it."

"I hate it more," he replied. They were both quiet a while, mutually comforted by the presence of the other, even if just through the phone. Finally he sighed. "It's late there. You should get some sleep."

Mia swiped at a stray tear that had managed to slip past her defences. Clearly being overtired made her emotional. "I don't want to say goodbye."

Five minutes later, after they'd both proven that neither wanted to be the first to hang up, Mia hit speaker and set the phone onto the pillow Spencer normally slept with. The rustling on the other end told her that Spencer was doing the same thing. When both were settled, Spencer promised he'd be home soon, they both said 'I love you,' and a comfortable silence fell between the two. Mia fell asleep with a smile, knowing the man she loved was there with her, even with hundreds of miles between them. Eventually she knew they would have to learn to be apart while he was working cases. For now, though, she would sleep with his t-shirts, and they could rack up their phone bills with wordless calls. Whatever it took to be together.

* * *

"I hate you sometimes, you know."

Mia looked up to find Alice in the doorway of her office, smirking. "Oh? Why's that?"

"You literally have _all _the luck."

Frowning, Mia set her book down. "What are you talking about?"

"There's some guy here, asking for you," Alice explained. "Oh, and spoiler alert: he's smokin' hot."

"Who is it?"

"No idea. But since you already have Spencer, can I have this one?"

Mia laughed and led the way out of the office, back out into the front of the shop. When she saw Sean standing near the counter she turned and hit her friend in the arm jokingly. "That's my _brother_ you freak."

Without waiting for a response, Mia hurried over to her brother, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. He chuckled and returned the embrace for a moment before pulling away. "Good to see you, too, Bug."

"What are you doing here?!" Mia asked excitedly. "I didn't even know you were in town!"

"It was a last minute trip," he told her, leaning against the counter casually. Mia didn't miss his quick glance in Alice's direction. "I had to meet with a supplier."

"Supplier? Supplier of what?"

"Drugs."

Mia's eyes widened. "_What_?! Sean Arthur Hotch—"

"Relax, you goofball!" Sean laughed, cutting her off mid-freak out. "It was the _meat _supplier. For the restaurant."

"Oh," Mia smiled sheepishly, "You're lucky."

"Anyway. I figured I'd come by and see if you wanted to grab lunch before I head back?"

"That would be great!" Mia turned to Alice, who was doing a very poor job of not gawking at Sean. "Do you mind?"

Alice shook her head mutely. Mia laughed softly before going to grab her coat and purse from the office. When she got back up to the counter, Sean was leaning over it, flirting openly with her friend. Alice was blushing furiously, looking up at Sean with wide eyed wonder. Mia shook her head with an amused smirk.

"Let's go, Casanova," she said, grabbing the back of her brother's coat and tugging him towards the door. "You two can get to know each other later."

A half hour later, Mia and Sean were seated comfortably in a little booth at her favourite little Indian restaurant. She and Spencer frequented the place so often the owner recognized her and brought a plate of her favourite vegetable pakoras with their drinks. Mia thanked him happily, and he waved her off, eying Sean suspiciously.

"No Dr. Reid today, Mia?"

"Oh, no, Rohit, Spencer's working," Mia replied. "This is my brother, Sean."

Rohit relaxed immediately and his wrinkled face broke into a grin. "Nice to meet you, Sean. If either of you need anything, just yell!"

Mia nodded with a smile and watched the sweet older man walk away before turning to her brother. "We come here often, can you tell?"

Sean laughed. "How is Spencer doing? Has Aaron killed him yet?"

"Um, not yet," Mia replied slowly, sipping her iced tea. "Mostly because we haven't had a chance to tell him."

"Amelia Grace!"

Mia flinched. "I know, I know. I tried, really I did!"

"Clearly not hard enough!" Sean gave her a disappointed little frown. "You realize the only reason he's going to flip out now is because you kept it from him for so long, right? And he'll have every right to be upset!"

Mia sighed, knowing he was right. Though Sean dropped the subject after a few more moments, she couldn't think of anything else. Gone was her fear of Aaron disapproving of her relationship with Spencer. Now that her commitment phobic self had calmed down, she knew that he would have accepted the relationship just as easily as the rest of the team had. She knew he and Sean would have had the big brother talk with Spencer, but then everything would have been good. Now that she'd put off telling him for so long, though, he was going to be far more upset than necessary, and it was entirely her fault.

By the time they'd finished lunch and were on their way back to the bookshop, Mia was dreading the inevitable conversation with her brother just as much as she had when she and Spencer first started dating. Sean noticed her glum mood and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"He'll get over it," he assured her. "He'll be upset, but he'll get over it."

"He's going to hate me, and by extension he'll hate Spencer. I should have told him right away."

"He won't hate you, don't be ridiculous," Sean said sharply. "That being said, yes, you should have told him right away."

"He'll hate us."

Before Sean could argue further, the Doctor Who theme song started playing in Mia's handbag. Ignoring the 'oh my God you're such a geek' look she got from her brother, Mia reached for her ringing phone, hoping it was Spencer telling her he'd be home soon. Somehow, though, she knew it wouldn't be him. Taking a deep breath, she turned her phone over in her hand and glanced at the caller ID.

Penelope Garcia.

"Are you going to answer it?" Sean asked after she stared at the screen for a few moments.

"No."

"Uh…why not?"

"It's Penelope."

"Penelope?"

"Garcia," Mia brought her gaze up to meet his, "From the BAU. The technical analyst."

"Right," Sean nodded, "The quirky blonde one."

Mia looked back down at the phone, her heart racing. "The team is away. Penelope would only call if there was something…wrong."

"Then you should answer it."

"No," Mia said, holding the phone out to her brother. "You answer it."

"Why me?"

"I can't do it, Sean. If something's happened to Aaron…or Spencer…I just…I can't."

At the mention of their brother's name, worry flashed across Sean's face. His eyes darkened, brow pulled together in a frown. After a brief moment he nodded and took the phone from her hand, hitting the answer button and putting it to his ear slowly. Mia waited nervously, watching his face for any sign of trouble.

"Garcia? This is Sean, Mia's brother." He was quiet a moment, and then "No, she figures you've got news she doesn't want to hear."

Their conversation lasted no more than three minutes, and it was easily the longest three minutes of Mia's life. She stood there, watching him quietly, praying that she was wrong, that everything was fine, that Penelope just called to chat. She knew, though, that if that were the case, they'd be chatting by now. Instead, Sean stood motionless as he listened closely, his expression calm and controlled.

Mia could feel herself shaking by the time he thanked Penelope and hung up, handing the phone back to her.

"Okay, Bug," he said slowly, putting his hands on her shoulders, "I need you to not panic."

Panic set in immediately. "What happened?"

"There's a bit of a…situation in San Francisco."

"What kind of situation?"

"A hostage situation."

"Oh, God," Mia breathed. "Is…um…are they all…"

"Not everyone, no," Sean replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her down the street. "I'm sure everything is going to be fine, but we're going to go to Quantico so we're around if anything…happens."

"Aaron?"

Sean was quiet a moment as they walked towards the rental car he'd parked outside her store. "Aaron is fine."

Momentary relief washed over her, replaced almost immediately with a sick feeling of dread. Of course Aaron was okay. Aaron was always okay. It was what Sean _hadn't_ said that made her blood run cold. Aaron was okay, but Spencer was not. Spencer was a hostage. Spencer's life was on the line. She'd known from the start, from the moment she saw Penelope's name on the caller ID, who she should be worried about. Her mind was racing, a flood of awful, horrible, terrible scenarios plaguing her thoughts. Her heart ached. She felt ill. She wanted desperately to cry, but couldn't seem to find the strength. When Sean guided her into the passenger seat of his rental, she stared unseeingly ahead, silently begging a very far away Spencer to be safe.

_Please be okay,_ she thought desperately, _Please, please, please. You have to be okay._


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Surprise! I was feeling bad about the cliffhanger, didn't want y'all to have to wait all weekend to see our beloved Spence again. Happy Thursday! :) **

_Chapter Nineteen_

Spencer sat against the cool brick wall, his head throbbing painfully, his eyes on the man by the door. His hair stuck to the side of his face, glued down by the small trickle of blood that stemmed from where he'd been hit with what appeared to be some sort of pipe. The beady eyed man watched him closely, still gripping the pipe with one hand, Spencer's gun in his other hand. After a few moments he looked away, whispering something angrily to the empty space behind his left shoulder. Following a few seconds of hushed conversation with someone only he could see, the man stuck the gun into the waistband of his pants and tightened his grip on the metal pipe. Spencer frowned, wondering what sort of delusion the man was having. Despite the pounding in his head, he felt a pang of sympathy towards the clearly very sick man.

On the other side of the room, huddled together, looking fearful, was a young couple with their toddler son. With one glance in their direction, Spencer forgot his sympathy and felt an immediate rush of anger instead. Sick or not, this man had already tortured and mutilated eight people, and had Spencer not shown up to investigate a hunch, would have killed three more innocent people. The little boy was crying softly into his mother's chest as his father tried to shield them both from view. Spencer's sympathy went from the mentally ill man to the terrified little family, and he began carefully calculating how difficult it would be to get everyone out safely.

"You have to let us go, now," the man across the room said, getting to his feet suddenly. "The FBI is here. You're trapped. You have to let us go."

Spencer groaned inwardly as the only man with any sort of weapon turned to face the small family, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Seems like _you're _the one that's trapped," he said, his voice low. The hand gripping the pipe rose threateningly as he started to approach the man feigning bravery. "The FBI hasn't stopped me yet. You really think one disarmed agent has me worried?"

"It's not just me, Paul," Spencer said loudly, drawing the man's attention to himself. "My team knows I'm here. There are FBI agents, police officers, and likely a SWAT team waiting just outside."

Spencer kept his voice as calm as possible, his gaze locked with the wide eyed gaze of the armed man. He was lying through his teeth, of course, but Paul didn't need to know that. As they stared at each other in silence, Spencer wondered vaguely if his team had even realized yet that he hadn't returned from interviewing their supposed witness-turned-unsub. He sincerely hoped they had, and that they were assembling some sort of rescue right at that moment, but he had no way to be sure.

Still, he had to keep Paul talking. He had to keep these people safe. He had to get back to Mia.

"You're lying," Paul said finally. "I know you're lying. You're here alone."

"I'm not here alone," Spencer argued quietly. "I insisted on coming inside alone so I could have a chance to talk to you, try to resolve this without anyone getting hurt."

Paul snorted. "How's that working out for you, Agent?"

"It's Doctor, actually," Spencer replied out of habit. Thinking quickly, he continued. "Not agent. I'm a doctor. I just work with the FBI as…a consultant."

"Doctor?" Paul repeated, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "They sent in a doctor? So you all think I'm crazy, too, then!"

Wrong thing to say, obviously, Spencer realized as Paul rushed forwards, anger blazing in his beady eyes. Simply grateful to have taken his attention from the innocent family in the corner, especially the little boy, Spencer shut his eyes against the oncoming pain. Paul grabbed the front of his shirt, hauling him up from the ground roughly, and directed a solid upper right hook to his face, drawing a knee up into his stomach when he tried to pull away.

"Paul," Spencer wheezed, "Stop. You don't have to—"

He was interrupted by the man's fist, colliding again with his face. Spencer wasn't prepared for this one, and fell back into the wall, barely noticing when his head crashed painfully into the bricks. The room swam before him, Paul's angry face a colorful blur. He vaguely heard the young boy in the corner crying, and his father demanding that Paul stop. Spencer slid down the wall, coming to rest on the floor, breathing heavily. Paul glared down at him, his teeth bared, looking every bit the psychopath Spencer knew him to be.

"I don't think you're crazy," Spencer said, wincing involuntarily when Paul shifted slightly. "I don't. I just want to help."

"You can't help me, _Doctor_," Paul sneered, retrieving the metal pipe from where he'd dropped it in his fury, and pulling the gun from the waistband of his jeans. Spencer ignored the sharp intake of breath from the other side of the room, gazing calmly up at the gun Paul pointed in his direction. "There's nothing you can do."

Before Spencer could even think of a reply, his phone rang. Everyone in the room jumped. Paul lowered the gun slightly, his eyes narrowing. Spencer gulped and slowly reached for his pocket, his eyes not leaving the man with the gun. Paul did nothing to stop him as he pulled his phone out and slowly put it to his ear. Though he knew it would be a member of his team, he found himself longing to hear Mia's voice on the other end. If he was going to die, here, in this room, the only thing he wanted to hear was the voice of the woman he loved.

"Reid, hang in there," Hotch's voice said the moment he hit the answer button, "We're on our way."

* * *

Sean Hotchner was at a loss. He stood in the doorway to the break room at the BAU, nursing a cup of coffee, his eyes on his sister. Mia sat across the room, behind a desk he assumed was Reid's, her knees drawn up to her chest, her pale face streaked with tears. He had no idea what to say or do to help her, to make her feel better, and it killed him. All their lives he'd been the one person who'd always known exactly what to say, who'd always been able to make her smile, no matter how bad things got.

Now, here, in this moment, he was completely helpless.

"How is she?"

Sean turned to face the agent—Anderson, he thought. "I don't know," he said tiredly, "She hasn't said much since we got here."

Anderson nodded. "Garcia wanted me to let you know that Hotch—er, your brother—is about to call Reid again, and she's listening in. She figured Mia would probably want to hear it, too."

Sighing, Sean set his coffee atop a nearby table and nodded. "She will," he agreed. "I shouldn't let her, though, right? I mean…what if it doesn't go well?"

The other man looked as clueless as Sean felt. Heaving another sigh, Sean moved through the bullpen towards his sister. She stared blankly at the desk in front of her, her blue eyes sparkling with fresh, unshed tears. Her lower lip quivered tellingly. Sean felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Seeing his sister like this, so sad and inconsolable, affected him more than anything else ever could. He was strong, and he'd always been able to keep his emotions in check—maybe not as well as Aaron, but well enough—but he couldn't bear to see his sister hurt. Even when their mother passed away it had been her reaction that affected him more than the loss of a parent. Mia's pain had always been his biggest weakness.

"Bug?" Mia's big, blue eyes met his gaze as he lowered himself to a crouching position next to her. "Aaron's calling Reid right away and—"

Before he could even finish his sentence Mia was up and hurrying towards Garcia's office. Sean followed slowly, dreading the next few minutes. He hoped things went well, hoped they'd get to hear their brother resolve the situation and get Reid out safely. If anything else happened, though, he wasn't sure his sister could take it, and, in turn, wasn't sure if he'd be able to take her grief.

When he reached the dark, computer-sreen-lit room, Mia was already seated in a chair next to Garcia. Anderson stood at the ready near the doorway, having earlier been ordered by Rossi to be there for the Hotchner siblings should they need anything at all. Sean joined him, leaning back against the wall, and waited patiently.

"Ready, Garcia?"

Garcia glanced sideways at Mia, who nodded mutely. Sean wondered if Aaron even knew they were present.

"Ready, Hotch."

Everyone waited with bated breath. Sean kept his eyes glued to Mia, ready for any sign that she may breakdown. Garcia reached over and took her hand.

"Agent Hotchner."

The voice that filled the room was unfamiliar. The unsub, Sean figured. Mia sucked in a breath, shutting her eyes tightly.

"Paul. Before we discuss any of your terms, I need to hear that everyone is okay. Let me talk to Doctor Reid."

There were a few moments of silence. Sean was almost certain his sister wasn't breathing.

"Hotch."

At the sound of Reid's voice, Mia buried her face in her hands, her body shaking with fresh sobs. Sean hurried forwards and gathered her in his arms while Garcia quickly muted her microphone so no one—Aaron, Reid, or otherwise—could hear her crying.

"Reid," Hotch said sharply, "Are you alright? The Fosters? Are they alive?"

"All alive," Reid replied, his voice strained. It didn't take a profiler to know that the man was in pain. "All fine."

Reid's voice was quickly replaced by the voice of the unsub. Sean only half listened as he comforted his sister. He heard something about a SWAT team, a warning, and some raised voices. Garcia looked frantic. Though he wasn't fully aware of what was happening, Sean knew he had to get Mia out of the office, and fast. He stood, pulling his sister up with him. Anderson rushed forwards to help. Mia clung to Sean, but didn't resist as the men led her towards the door.

They were nearly out when the sound of gunshots filled the room.

Garcia shrieked. Anderson and Sean stopped moving, but didn't turn. Mia stood still, her breath ragged.

More gunshots. Banging. Loud voices. Garcia's repeated 'oh my god's.

Sean tightened his hold on Mia, whose knees seemed ready to give out.

"Garcia?"

Sean immediately recognized Derek Morgan's voice.

"We got him, Baby Girl. We got him."

Garcia let out a little whimper. Anderson visibly relaxed. Sean breathed a sigh of relief.

"Reid's okay," he breathed, pulling his sister into a hug. She immediately began to sob into his chest. "He's okay, Mia. It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Two chapters in one day! Because Mia needs to see Spencer again asap. Enjoy :) **

_Chapter Twenty_

_He's okay,_ Mia told herself anxiously for the millionth time, _he's okay_.

Sensing her uncertainty, Sean placed a hand on her shoulder. "Bug, he's okay."

Mia smiled softly up at her brother, but said nothing. Sean leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before heading for the break room, where Mia knew he'd down yet another cup of coffee. Taking a deep breath, Mia swivelled in her chair and gazed at Spencer's desk. Stacks and stacks of files took up most of the space, along with a phone, a computer, and an assortment of pens and miscellaneous office supplies. It desperately needed a framed photo or two. She was in the midst of pulling out her phone to find some photos they'd taken together when Penelope came hurrying into the quiet bullpen.

"They're here," she said breathlessly, "They're here!"

Mia dropped her phone atop Spencer's desk and got to her feet, following the excited blonde to the elevator in the corridor. Sean joined them moments later, a cup of coffee in hand. They watched the numbers above the elevator light up as it moved past each floor on its way up to the BAU. Mia was shaking. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. She took a deep breath, accepting Penelope's outstretched hand with a small smile.

With a little _bing_, the elevator reached their floor, and the doors slid open slowly. Mia stood between Penelope and Sean, chewing her lower lip nervously. Emily, JJ, and Derek emerged first, each giving her a small smile as they filed past. Penelope gave her hand one last comforting squeeze before following them through the glass door. Dave was next and gave Mia a big, warm hug. As they were hugging, Aaron stepped off the elevator, giving his siblings an odd look.

"Mia? Sean?" He moved past Mia and Dave to stand next to his brother. "What are you doing here?"

Mia didn't hear Sean's response. As Dave stepped aside to follow the rest of the team into the bullpen, Mia caught sight of Spencer and felt her breath catch in her chest. The paramedics had cleaned him up as best they could, but the gash on his head was visible, his hair darkened with dried blood. His face was colored with bruises, one of his eyes slightly swollen. Taking a shaky breath, Mia moved towards him, heedless of the fact that Aaron stood by, watching closely.

Spencer smiled and brushed a stray curl from her eyes. "I haven't had a chance to get your flowers."

Mia let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob and stood on tiptoe to kiss him gently. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and deepening the kiss. When Mia put her arms around his neck and he winced, she tried to pull away. He wouldn't let go.

"I'm hurting you," she murmured against his lips.

He shook his head, going back to kissing her without a word. Mia smiled and leaned back into him, clinging to his shirt as gently as she could. The world around them disappeared, and every bit of fear and worry and sadness Mia had felt in the past twenty four hours melted away with it. Spencer was home. He was safe. He was hurt, but not fatally, and the bad guy was in jail. Mia felt like she could breathe again. Everything was good.

"Uh, guys," Sean's voice brought them back to reality. "I don't mean to, you know, interrupt…but, uh, Aaron…"

Suddenly remembering where they were, and who was there, Mia pulled away and spun around to face her brothers. She found Sean standing there alone, Aaron having disappeared into the BAU. Mia shut her eyes for a moment, groaning inwardly. She'd been stupid and impulsive. This was _so _not how she'd wanted Aaron to find out about them.

"I should go talk to him."

"Yeah," Sean agreed, "But you should probably go alone. He looked about ready to hit something, or someone, and I don't think Reid needs any more bruises."

Mia glanced up at Spencer. He shook his head. "I'm coming with you."

"No, he's right," Mia said softly. Spencer went to argue further, but Mia put a finger to his lips. "Just let me talk to him first. When I know he's not going to flip out you can come in."

Spencer was quiet a moment, and looked like he wanted to protest, but finally he nodded. Mia pressed a quick, gentle kiss to his lips before hurrying into the bullpen. Dave stood nearest the door, and gave her a weary little smile as she went past. She managed to respond with a small smile of her own despite how suddenly terrified she was. Aaron was going to yell. Oh, how he was going to yell. And everyone would hear.

It was going to be awful.

Taking a deep breath, Mia knocked on his office door, pushing it open without waiting for a response. Aaron stood behind his desk and watched her enter, his eyes glittering dangerously. Mia gave him an apologetic smile as she shut the door behind her and moved to stand across from him. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a dark look. Mia felt like a little girl again, like he was about to scold her for getting a bad grade on her math test or something.

"Aaron," she started, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to—"

"How long?"

She blinked at him. "What?"

"How long, Amelia? How long have you been together?"

Mia sighed. "Um. About two months, give or take."

"Two months," he repeated. "Two months?! Did you plan on telling me?"

"Of course!" Mia replied hurriedly. "Of _course _I planned on telling you. I even tried a few times, but we kept getting—"

"When?"

If he continued to interrupt her, Mia was going to lose her cool. "When what?"

"When did you 'try' to tell me?"

His use of air quotes when he said 'try' irritated Mia. She bit back a rude retort, telling herself he was upset and had every right to be. "Last week. Spencer and I—"

"_Last week_?!" He leaned forwards, slamming his hands down on the desk, making Mia jump. "That's still two months, Mia. You were still with him for _two months_ before you thought to share!"

"Aaron, I'm sorry," Mia said emphatically, her eyes filling with tears yet again. "I was…I wanted to wait for the—"

"Right moment, yeah," Aaron interrupted her again. "It's the damned bookstore all over again, Mia! You need to stop keeping things from—" he paused suddenly, his eyes widening. "You've been dating him since then. Since the bookstore. Since we last fought about this?!"

"Don't be angry with him, Aaron—"

"HIM!?" Aaron bellowed. Mia jumped again. "Amelia Grace, I'm not even _thinking _about Reid. I _know_ he only kept it from me because you asked him to!"

Mia dropped her gaze, knowing he was right. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "Aaron, I'm sorry."

Her brother was quiet a moment, their breathing the only sound in the quiet office. Finally he sighed. "Go home, Mia."

"What?" She looked back up at him. "No! We need to talk about this!"

"We've had months to talk about this," Aaron said tiredly. "_Months_, Mia. You chose not to come to me. So I choose not to discuss it right now."

"Aaron—"

"No," he said, cutting her off yet again. "I'm hurt, Mia. I'm not angry that you're dating him—hell, I'm happy for you both. I'm not blind. I've seen how happy you both have been. Do you really think I'm such a monster that I'd be _angry _about your _happiness_?"

Mia hastily brushed away a few rebellious tears that had made it past her barricades. Aaron frowned, took a step in her direction before changing his mind and sinking into his chair.

"Go home," he repeated. "Keep an eye on Reid. He may have a concussion."

Mia knew that that was it. The conversation was over. Aaron busied himself with a file on his desk, acting as if Mia had already left the office. Sighing softly, Mia turned and did just that, resisting the urge to stay and argue some more. As she walked slowly past the window to his office, she noticed Aaron scrub a hand over his face and lean back in his chair. Guilt stabbed at her heart painfully.

"How'd it go?" Spencer asked as she reached the bottom of the steps. "Was he angry?"

Mia lifted a shoulder in a weak shrug. "He's very upset."

Sean came up behind Spencer. "He'll get over it, Bug. He'll see how happy you both are and—"

"No," Mia interrupted him, "He's not angry about _us_. He's angry at _me_. Because I kept it from him. And why shouldn't he be? I mean, he has every right to hate me!"

"He doesn't hate you," Spencer assured her. "He's just upset. He'll get over it."

Mia sighed. "I hope so."

"You two go home," Sean said. "You both need some rest. I'll stick around and talk to Aaron. It'll be fine, I promise."

Mia reached over and pressed a quick kiss to her brother's cheek. "Call me tomorrow."

Sean nodded, smiled at them both, and waved them off. Spencer grabbed his bag from his desk, waved a quick goodbye towards the team—who, thankfully, were pretending they weren't eavesdropping—and led Mia back out to the elevators. As they waited in the silent hallway, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss atop her head.

"He's right," he said quietly. "It's going to be fine. Hotch _will_ get over it."

Mia shut her eyes and leaned into him as they stepped onto the elevator. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispered. "I was so scared. I just…I don't know what I would have done if…"

Spencer dropped his bag and wrapped both arms around her, pulling her close. "Don't," he said softly, "Don't think like that. I'm okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Aaron Hotchner stood in his office, watching Mia and Reid closely. Their conversation with Sean was brief, and they were soon leaving the BAU, hand-in-hand. Aaron watched them wait for the elevator and couldn't help the brief surge of protective anger he felt towards Reid when his arm went around Mia's shoulders. It passed quickly, though. However hurt or upset he was about being kept in the dark, he was pleased that his sister was with someone he knew would take care of her. He honestly couldn't think of a more suitable man for his baby sister.

"You ok?"

Aaron turned to find Sean in the doorway to the office. Anger bubbled up inside him again. "How long have you known?"

Sean grimaced slightly as he shut the door behind him. "Does it really matter?"

"Yes, it matters," Aaron replied curtly, moving to his chair and taking a seat. He waited until Sean had sunk into a chair across from him. "How long, Sean?"

"Since family dinner a few weeks back."

"And you didn't think to tell me? Or to make Mia tell me?"

"Don't be stupid, of course I did," Sean said, rolling his eyes. "It wasn't my place to tell though, Aaron. And it's not my fault Mia didn't tell you sooner. That was her call."

"Who else knows?" Aaron asked, ignoring his brother's little rant. "The whole team?"

Sean shrugged. "I think so."

"That's just great," Aaron said angrily. "_Everyone_ knew but me. So I've been looking like an idiot for months?"

"The team just found out," Sean said quickly. "Like, last weekend. Mia said they figured it out and just showed up at Reid's place one day to confront them."

"They could have told me."

"It wasn't their place, either. It was up to Mia. She wasn't ready."

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Please. What a load of shit."

"Don't be an ass, Aaron. You know how she is. She didn't want to tell anyone—not just you, _anyone_—until she knew it was the real deal."

"She thinks he's the real deal?"

Sean nodded. "She told me she loves him."

"_Loves_ him?"

"Loves him."

Aaron let out a low whistle. "Wow," he said softly. He was quiet a moment, before giving Sean a look. "You're sure? She _loves_ him?"

"That's what I hear," Sean laughed. "And it doesn't take a profiler to see that the kid's crazy about her."

He was right, of course. Aaron hadn't been oblivious to the change in his youngest team member's mood of late. Reid had been visibly happier for a while now. He'd been much chattier, had noticeably cut back on spouting off random facts and statistics, and was constantly smiling. Aaron had vaguely suspected that the kid had finally found a woman, but he'd never even considered the fact that it could be his baby sister.

"So they're happy."

Sean nodded. "Pretty happy, I'd say."

"That's all that matters then, right?" Aaron gave his brother a small smirk. "But if they think he's not getting the big brother chat, they're dreaming."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hi friends! Sorry this wasn't out sooner. I know I usually update Mondays, but life kind of got in the way this week. Sometimes being a student sucks. Anyway, here it is. Only one chapter left! Which I hope to have out later this week (no promises, but I'm gonna try). Enjoy! :) **

_Chapter Twenty-One_

"Six letters, to renounce solemnly, third letter is a j." Mia tapped the pen against her chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Abjure?"

"Did you know that blue eyes are a mutation?"

Pausing in the midst of filling in the answer on the morning crossword, Mia frowned. "What?"

"It's true," Spencer nodded, gazing at her with a faint smile. "Before the mutation occurred, all human beings had brown eyes."

"Uh, Spence," Mia smiled, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Your eyes are blue."

"Yes," she agreed slowly, "They are. But…I don't see how it relates to abjure."

"Abjure?"

Mia laughed. "How long ago did you stop paying attention?"

Spencer blinked curiously. "I'm not sure. I got distracted."

"By my eyes?"

"Happens more often than you'd think," he said with a nod. "They're quite distracting."

Smiling, Mia leaned over to kiss him. "You're adorable, you know that?"

Spencer's cheeks flushed. "I love you."

Mia smiled. "I love you, too."

Spencer took the newspaper and pen from Mia's hand, setting it on the coffee table before turning back to her and grinning. Mia laughed softly as he pushed her back on the sofa, his fingers making quick work of the buttons on the shirt she'd slipped on that morning. When his lips found her neck, trailing soft, sweet little kisses down to her collarbone, she sighed happily, tangling her hands in his hair. The moment her fingers brushed against the bandage she'd insisted he wear over his fresh stiches, though, her eyes snapped open and she pushed him away gently.

"You're still hurt," she said in answer to his questioning frown. "We shouldn't."

"Mia, I'm fine," he replied, kissing her softly. "I promise."

Mia wanted to argue, to make him rest his bruised, achy body and ice his still swollen eye. The moment his lips claimed hers again, though, her resolve melted away and she let herself get lost in the kiss. Less than twenty-four hours ago she'd been beyond terrified, thinking she'd lost him, and the pain was almost unbearable. Now she had him back, and she never wanted to let go. She loved this man more than she'd ever thought possible. Nothing made her happier than being here, with him, in love.

Of course, their luck being what it was, the moment their clothes started flying, Mia's phone buzzed loudly from the coffee table.

"Ignore it," Spencer breathed against her lips, "Please. Just ignore it."

Mia laughed and pressed another kiss to his lips before reaching for the phone. "It's Sean. I can't ignore it."

Spencer sighed and sat up. "Be quick."

Smiling softly, Mia nodded and hit the answer button. "Big brother," she said happily, "What's up?"

"I figured I should probably call and give you fair warning," He replied, "We're on our way to surprise you."

"Well it's not much of a surprise if you give me 'fair warning,' now is it?"

Sean chuckled. "What with Reid's near death experience, and your overwhelming relief at having him back safely, I figured you two might have slightly…_different_ plans for the day. I didn't want to show up in the middle of you two…you know," he said pointedly, "And I _know _you don't want that."

"Good point," Mia agreed with a smirk in Spencer's direction. "When will you be here?"

"Ten minutes," Sean said, "So you and that man of yours get your butts ready."

Mia hung up and broke the news to Spencer. "We'll have to finish this later," she said, getting to her feet. "The brothers are on their way."

"Uh oh," Spencer said, standing up slowly. Mia didn't miss the pained grimace he tried quickly to mask. "Do you think Hotch is still angry?"

"I don't know," Mia shrugged, leading the way to the bedroom. "I think it's probably a good sign that he's on his way here, though."

Ten minutes later, Mia and Spencer were back on the sofa, both dressed and waiting nervously for the Hotchner brothers to arrive. When there was finally a knock at the door, Mia gave Spencer a quick, reassuring kiss before standing and smoothing the front of her soft pink dress. After taking a deep, calming breath, she hurried to let them in.

"Aunty Mia!"

Jack jumped at her the moment the door was open. Mia laughed, lifting him into her arms and hugging him tightly. "Hey, buddy! I didn't know you were coming, too!"

"Surprise!" He said loudly as she set him back down. He gave her a toothy grin before hurrying towards Spencer, who stood a few feet away, watching them all warily. "Spencer! Hi!"

Mia couldn't help the warm, fuzzy feeling she got when Spencer knelt to hug Jack, wincing ever so slightly. Aaron and Sean must have warned Jack of Spencer's injuries, because the boy hugged him very gently before taking a step back and giving him an appraising look. Spencer remained motionless while Jack reached a curious hand out to his bruised face.

"Does it hurt?"

Spencer gave him a small smile. "Just a bit."

Mia turned back to her brothers. Sean pulled her into a brief embrace before moving to join the two in the living room, where Jack had already roped Spencer into a conversation about dinosaurs. Mia watched them for a few moments, so full of love she could burst, before taking a deep breath and looking to her oldest brother.

"Can we talk?" He asked softly. "Alone?"

"Of course," Mia replied instantly. "Kitchen?"

Aaron nodded and started down the hallway towards the kitchen. Mia snuck a quick glance in Spencer's direction. He gave her a reassuring smile. Beside him, Sean grinned. Returning their smiles uncertainly, Mia took a deep breath and followed Aaron down the hall. The moment they were alone, away from her noisy nephew, Aaron pulled her into a big bear hug. Mia felt herself relax immediately. Her brother's wordless embrace assured her that everything was going to be okay.

"I'm sorry," she said softly as he released her, "For not telling you. I wish I had."

Aaron gave a slight shrug. "It's your relationship. You have every right to talk about it with whomever you want," he replied. He gazed at her for a few moments—sadly, Mia thought—and then he sighed. "I just wish you could talk to me like you do Sean."

Mia felt her heart break a little bit. "I can," she argued, "I just…if it was anyone but Spencer I would have come to you, Aaron. I was just…scared."

"That I wouldn't approve? That I would try to break you up? You don't really think I'd be that…_controlling_, do you?"

Mia smirked slightly. "You've done it before, you know."

Aaron frowned. "When?"

"A few times, actually," she told him. "Eric Smithfield, for example."

"Amelia," Aaron growled, "You were seventeen. He was twenty-one. I was protecting you."

Mia flashed him a smile. "I know," she assured him. "I worried that you'd want to protect me now, too."

Aaron sighed again, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "You're an adult, Mia. I'm not going to try to make your decisions for you anymore," he said quietly. "Besides. I know Reid. I like Reid. Why wouldn't I approve?"

"I didn't think you'd like me being with an agent," Mia replied. She was quiet a moment, gazing at her nails thoughtfully. "I think, though, that I was more worried of it…just not working, and what would happen when it didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"This is all new to me, Aaron," she explained, fiddling with her hair nervously. "This whole caring about someone thing, I mean. Someone who isn't you or Sean or Jack. I just…I worried that it wouldn't work. That it would end somehow. And it wouldn't just be me who got hurt. It would be Spencer, and you, and the team…and…that's a lot of people's happiness to have on my shoulders!"

"You need to stop worrying about everyone else," Aaron told her sharply. "Your happiness is all that should matter. The rest of us are grownups…we can deal with whatever happens."

"I know," Mia smiled, "But I didn't want to make things difficult for you."

Aaron gave her an exasperated little smirk. "Please," he scoffed, "You live to make things difficult for me. Always have, always will. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mia laughed. "I suppose," she conceded, "But I didn't want to make things difficult for you at work. Or for the rest of the team. I mean, things would get awkward and—"

"Let's cross that bridge if we ever get there," Aaron said, cutting her off. "You're happy with Reid, right?"

"Very."

"Then we have nothing to worry about."

Mia smiled. "So…you approve?"

"Of course I do," Aaron laughed, pulling her into another hug. "I've told you before, and I'll say it again: if you're happy, that's all that matters."

"You're not angry?"

"No," he replied, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving her a very serious look, "But you need to _stop keeping things from me_."

"I will," Mia promised. "No more secrets."

"Alright," Aaron nodded. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and steering her towards the living room, where Spencer and Sean could be heard laughing uproariously at something Jack had said or done. "Let's go eat."

An hour later, Mia sat in a vinyl red booth at a nearby diner, waiting for breakfast to be served. To her right, Jack concentrated on the maze on his menu, his blue crayon threatening to snap under the pressure he was using. To her left, Spencer sipped a coffee, nodding along with whatever her brother was saying. Across from them, Sean and Aaron both sat nursing their own coffees, deep in conversation with Spencer. Mia couldn't stop smiling—not that she would have wanted to, of course. She couldn't imagine a more perfect way to spend her morning. Here, with her brothers and her nephew and the love of her life, she was truly happy. Gazing around at her favourite men she felt more love than she'd ever imagined possible. This was perfect. Life was perfect.

Everything was perfect.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hi friends! Sorry for the wait! I'm currently taking 3 times the recommended course load, so I've been _crazy busy_. Anyway, here it is! The long awaited final chapter. I made sure to make it nice and long, and _extra_ fluffy for you. Enjoy! ****  
**

**Dedicated to Ijustwantyoutoknow, ReidsGirl, and everyone else who read/reviewed/favourited/followed/etc. I seriously love you all. Thank you! **

* * *

_Chapter Twenty Two _

"Sweets, I gotta ask. How is he in bed?"

"PEN!"

"What! I'm curious if Boy Wonder's smarts pay off between the sheets!"

Mia shook her head with an exasperated smile. "They absolutely do," she said simply, "And that's all I'm saying on the matter!"

"Fine," Penelope laughed. "You perfect little couples and your secrets. If anyone was curious about Kevin's performance I'd share!"

"Oh, you would not," Mia scoffed, handing her friend a pair of oven mitts when the timer dinged. "I really don't think Kev would appreciate you discussing your…_intimate_ relationship."

"He certainly wouldn't mind if I told everyone that he's able to satisfy my every need," Penelope grinned as she took the pie from the oven, "And more."

Mia smirked, leaning a hip against the kitchen counter. "You don't know satisfaction until you've slept with a certifiable genius."

"Ooh you naughty little thing you! Details, woman! I want details!"

"I _know_ Spence would be wholly unimpressed if I started sharing _details_ with you."

Penelope rolled her eyes jokingly, but didn't press the issue. Mia smiled and went back to the dishes she was drying and putting away after their day of baking. Since the team had been out of town on a case the weekend of Thanksgiving, they'd taken the following weekend off and planned on getting together at Dave's to have dinner together—as a family. Mia and Penelope had volunteered to be in charge of dessert, and had awoken early that morning to get everything done. They'd made three pies—apple, cherry, and pumpkin—as well as a bunch of chocolate chip cookies and a batch of cupcakes decorated to look like cute little turkeys. Penelope had brought a couple bottles of wine with her, which they'd broken into early in the afternoon, and as they neared dinner time the effects of the alcohol were becoming more and more apparent.

"Can I just ask _one _more question?"

Mia heaved an exaggerated sigh and smiled. "One more."

"Does he have a freaky side to him?"

"_What_?!"

"He's so…quiet! So geeky and smart and wonderful, but the kid _has _to have some sort of wild side!"

"Penelope!" Mia laughed, putting away the last mixing bowl and tossing the towel aside. "I can't tell you that!"

"Which means he does, right?" Penelope downed the rest of her wine before reaching for more. "He must. He's just too perfect and good all the time."

"You, my dear, are crazy."

Penelope winked as she poured far too much wine into Mia's almost empty glass. "Not as crazy as our boy gets in the sack, I bet."

Before Mia could respond with the appropriate amused shock at her new friend's candor there was a knock at the door. Laughing softly to herself, Mia took a quick sip of her wine before hurrying out of the room. Without bothering to check the peep hole she pulled the door open wide, and was extremely pleased to find Spencer smiling at her, a bottle of wine clutched in his gloved hands.

"Spence!" Mia beamed at him, standing on tiptoe to press a quick kiss to his lips. "I thought you had Henry for the night?"

"He wasn't feeling well," Spencer explained, passing her the bottle of wine before shrugging out of his black wool coat. "JJ and Will decided to keep him at home so that hopefully he'll be better for dinner tomorrow."

"Reid!" Penelope emerged from the kitchen, smiling widely. "We were just talking about you!"

Spencer glanced at Mia curiously. She gave him a reassuring smile. "Just about how _perfect_ you are," she said, giving Penelope a warning look. "Come see what Pen and I did today!"

For the next twenty minutes the three of them admired the girls' handiwork while sipping wine, chatting, and laughing. By the time Kevin showed up to bring Penelope home, both women had had far too much wine and were excessively tipsy. The two couples stood by the door for a few more minutes, talking happily about dinner the following day, before Kevin announced that he had to get his drunk girlfriend home before she passed out. As they were leaving, Penelope gave Mia a big hug and—in a stage whisper—told her to go get freaky with the Whiz Kid.

"What did Garcia mean when she said 'get freaky'?" Spencer asked the moment they were left alone.

Mia laughed and led the way to the living room, where she immediately dropped onto the sofa, her legs no longer willing to work properly. "She has this…theory about you," she told him as he took a seat next to her. "I neither confirmed nor denied it, of course."

"What's her theory?"

"She figures you…uh…like it kinky. In bed."

Spencer's eyes went wide. "You talked to her about our sex life?!"

"Of course not!" Mia replied immediately. "I mean, not really. Only a little bit."

"Mia! I don't discuss that stuff with Morgan or Rossi!"

"Spence, don't get upset," she said with a small smile. "Girls are different. We share things."

"Personal things?!"

"Everything," Mia nodded seriously. "But I didn't give Penelope any details. I pretty much just said that you are _really _good in bed."

Pride flashed across Spencer's face, but he quickly masked it with a frown. "That's all you said?"

"That's all I said."

For a few brief moments he looked like he wanted to continue being upset, but when Mia leaned over to kiss him he grinned stupidly and pulled her close. "You think I'm _really good_ in bed?"

Mia laughed. "You're more than 'really good,'" she said softly. "You, my love, are _amazing_."

* * *

"I feel like we're forgetting something!"

"Mia, we've checked and double checked," Spencer sighed, shifting the pile of baked goods in his arms slightly. "We're not forgetting anything."

"You can't be sure," Mia argued, setting down her own armload of things—board games, a casserole she'd thrown together that morning, and a change of clothes for later—and fishing in her purse for her list. "I need to be sure."

Spencer fought the urge to roll his eyes. "If we get there and it turns out we forgot something, I promise I will come back here to get it."

Mia ignored him, scanning her list carefully. Spencer watched her, waiting impatiently, but keeping his frustration to himself. For some reason he hadn't quite figured out yet this Thanksgiving dinner with the team was extremely important to Mia, and he wanted to support her—no matter how ridiculous he thought she was being. This was the woman he loved more than he'd ever imagined possible, and if something was important to her then he was going to do everything in his power to consider it just as important.

When she finished rereading her list she gave him a big smile, grabbed her things, and led the way out into the hall. Spencer followed her and, carefully balancing his things against the wall, locked the door behind them before they headed downstairs and outside. As they loaded up his Volvo and Mia chattered excitedly about the day ahead, Spencer quietly remarked that, while he didn't quite share his girlfriend's extreme enthusiasm for dinner, he was looking forward to a group function where they didn't have to hide their relationship.

"You know," Mia said as Spencer pulled out of the parking lot, "This will be our first major holiday together."

Suddenly understanding why she was taking the day so seriously, Spencer smiled, reaching over and taking her hand in his. "It's the first of many."

The ride out to Rossi's was quick, and before he knew it Spencer was seated at the island in the kitchen, sipping a glass of wine while Mia and Rossi dressed the turkey. As Mia had promised to help with the cooking, they'd been the first to arrive. Not the greatest of cooks himself Spencer elected to simply observe and quickly found himself entranced by the way Mia's snug jeans and purple t-shirt hugged her curves. Her hair was pinned back, but one stray curl kept falling into her pretty blue eyes. She was just far too gorgeous for her own good. Never in a million years had he ever thought for a second that he'd end up with such a breathtakingly beautiful woman.

"People are going to be here soon," Mia announced a while later, once the turkey was in the oven and the kitchen was tidied. "I'm going to change."

Rossi nodded. "I should get ready, too. C'mon, I'll show you to a guest room."

As she followed Rossi from the room, Mia grabbed Spencer's hand, pulling him along with them. Rossi brought them to a nice sized room at the top of the stairs, pointed out an ensuite bathroom Mia could use to freshen up in, and then disappeared in the direction of his own room. Already wearing his nice dinner outfit, Spencer took a seat on the bed, his eyes on the stunning woman about to undress before him.

"Don't even think about it," she warned with a smile. "We don't have time."

"We have _some _time," Spencer argued. "I can hear Rossi's shower. He's busy, and no one else is even here yet."

Mia smirked, putting her hands on her hips. "People will be here any minute," she told him, "People _including_ both of my older brothers."

Spencer sighed in resignation. "Fine. We don't have time."

Laughing softly, Mia crossed the room to press a quick kiss to his lips before turning to face the mirror. Spencer watched her remove her jeans and t-shirt, using every bit of willpower he had not to succumb to his most carnal desires. When she slipped into the pale blue dress she'd brought for dinner Spencer obligingly zipped her up, allowing his fingers to linger on her bare skin briefly. Giving him a warning smirk Mia stepped away and went about fixing her hair and makeup, leaving Spencer to gaze at her wistfully.

"You can stop looking at me like that," she said after a moment, eyeing him in the mirror as fluffed her curls. "It's not happening, Spencer."

Spencer grinned at her sheepishly. "Got it."

Shaking her head with a smile, Mia finished getting ready before the two of them headed back downstairs. They reached the main floor in time for the doorbell to ring, announcing the arrival of the Hotchner brothers and little Jack. Spencer watched with a smile as Mia greeted her family, hugging both men before lifting her nephew and pressing a big, smacking kiss to his cheek, causing the boy to laugh and squirm. As they all moved into the living room, sinking into the cushy leather sofas, Spencer wondered vaguely if the Hotchner brothers had truly accepted his relationship with their sister. It had been two and a half weeks since going public with their relationship, and Spencer still hadn't had the dreaded 'older brother talk' that Mia had promised her brothers would subject him to. Despite Mia's warnings that it would come when he least expected it, Spencer hoped he was in the clear.

It wasn't long before the rest of the team was there—JJ with Henry and Will, Garcia and Kevin, Morgan, and Prentiss—and the room was abuzz with happy conversation and laughter. Spencer sat on a cozy little loveseat, his arm around Mia, smiling softly as he listened to her excited Doctor Who discussion with Kevin. A few feet away Garcia and Morgan were in the midst of a very intense game of Jenga, while Prentiss and Rossi watched, drinking their fancy wine. On the other side of the room JJ, Hotch, Sean, and Will played on the floor with Henry and Jack. Spencer was quite certain he'd never been happier than he was here, right in this moment. He was with an amazing, gorgeous woman he adored, and he was surrounded by his family. It could not have been more perfect.

"We should probably get the rest of dinner cooking," Rossi announced a while later. "Mia?"

"Wow," Emily said, smiling widely, "I never thought I'd see the day that David Rossi _willingly_ let someone else into his kitchen!"

Rossi gave her a disbelieving look. "What, like I'd cook an _entire_ Thanksgiving dinner for you lot by myself?"

"We all kinda figured you'd just have it catered."

"He wanted to," Mia laughed as she joined Rossi by the doorway, "But I wouldn't let him. One of the best parts of Thanksgiving is cooking the meal! And then, of course, watching everyone else clean up the mess."

"And heads up," Rossi smirked, "You guys are 'everyone else.'"

"Though we do need a few more hands in the kitchen," Mia added. "Brother dearest, you fancy big city chef you. Get up off your butt and come help."

Sean obligingly stood. "Here I thought I was on _vacation_."

"No such thing, Big Brother," she laughed, smiling sweetly up at him. "Anyone else wanna help? There's a get out of dishes free card in it for you!"

"Anything to get out of dishes," Will said, getting to his feet quickly. "Besides. I could probably cook circles around the rest of these yahoos."

With that the four of them turned and headed towards the kitchen, Mia and Rossi handing out duties as they went. Spencer wondered vaguely how much the rest of the team would judge him if he followed, just to be close to Mia. Before he could make up his mind, though, Prentiss dropped into the seat Mia had just vacated.

"That girl could sell ice to an Eskimo," she said, sipping her wine with a smile. "She literally just has to smile and blink those pretty little eyes of hers and people will do just whatever she wants. She _needs _to tell me her secret."

* * *

"My _god _this stuffing is delicious."

"Bug, quit picking," Sean laughed, smacking Mia's hand playfully. "That would never fly in my restaurant, you know!"

Mia stuck out her tongue before taking another bite of the stuffing. "Good thing this isn't your restaurant then!"

Rolling his eyes, her brother took the big bowl of stuffing from her and brought it to the dining room, where JJ and Hotch were setting the table with Henry and Jack. Mia smiled to herself, picked up a whisk, and started mixing the gravy. JJ's lovely husband Will stood nearby, smashing the potatoes, and Rossi was taking the casseroles from the oven. The excited sounds of what sounded like a group game of Jenga between the remaining adults could be heard coming from the living room down the hall. Mia had always wanted a big family, had always wanted to have big, noisy get-togethers like she'd always seen on TV, to be surrounded by people she loved and who loved her back, and she finally felt like she had it all.

"Mia, try the yams," Dave said from the other end of the kitchen, "Let me know if they need anything more."

Mia quickly poured the gravy into the fancy gravy boat she'd come across in Dave's china cabinet before obligingly taking a forkful of the candied yams. "They're perfect," she called out before taking the dish in one hand, grabbing the gravy in the other, and heading for the dining room. A beautiful cornucopia sat in the center of the massive oak table, causing her to smile. "I love Thanksgiving."

Sean gave her an odd look. "You never liked Thanksgiving when we were little."

After setting the yams and gravy down carefully, Mia turned to face her brother. "It was never like this when we were little."

An odd look—sadness, Mia thought—crossed his face. With a glance in Aaron's direction, Mia found him looking at her with a very similar expression. After a moment Sean smiled and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "I'm glad you've finally got the life you deserve, Bug."

Mia smiled into his shoulder, feeling suddenly emotional. "I'm glad you're here to share it with me."

"Alright everyone," Dave called loudly from the kitchen as Will brought in the last few sides for the table, "Dinner is served. Get your butts to the dining room!"

There was a clamor of noise and seconds later Emily and Derek burst into the room, closely followed by Kevin, Penelope, and, finally, Spencer. Mia smiled at him, pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, and led him to the seats she'd decided were theirs. Soon everyone was seated around the table, smiling and chatting happily. When Dave emerged from the kitchen carrying the giant turkey they'd prepared on a pretty glass tray, everyone applauded and cheered. After Mia made the first cut—on Dave's insistance—the bird was sliced and doled out, and everyone dug in.

Mia ate slowly, gazing around at the group crowded around the table. Wine and conversation was flowing, everyone was smiling, and the food was delicious. At the far end of the table, Jack and Henry giggled at Kevin, who had mashed potatoes smeared across his cheek. Derek and Emily were arguing happily about something trivial. Spencer's free hand rested lightly on her thigh as they ate, despite the pair of big brothers that sat across the table. Mia could not have imagined a more perfect Thanksgiving dinner if she tried.

* * *

"I honestly don't think I've ever eaten that much in my entire life."

"I feel like I'm going to explode."

"At least we'll die happy."

Spencer chuckled softly at his friends' groggy, slightly drunken conversation. Morgan, Prentiss, and Garcia sat together on a sofa, Kevin leaning up against Garcia's legs. All four of them had their eyes shut, their hands resting on their full stomachs, satisfied little smiles on each of their faces. Spencer and Mia sat across from them on a matching loveseat, both just as sleepy. Jack lay curled up in Mia's lap, sleeping peacefully. Mia's head rested on Spencer's shoulder, her blue eyes drooping shut themselves. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

"Reid?"

Glancing up from his adorable girlfriend, Spencer found the Hotchner brothers standing in the archway, arms crossed over their chests. Spencer gulped. Mia sat up straight, eyeing her brothers curiously. "Guys?"

"We need to speak to Reid for a minute," Aaron said, his expression grim. "Reid, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Uh, sure," Spencer said slowly, getting to his feet.

Mia reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him. "Guys," she said again, this time her voice heavy with warning.

"We'll be gentle, Bug," Sean said with little wink, "Promise."

Mia hesitated for a moment before releasing Spencer's wrist. He gave her a nervous look, which she responded to with a reassuring smile. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and followed the Hotchners out of the room, bracing himself. As he rounded the corner, he heard Morgan chuckle.

"The Kid thought he'd escaped the big brother chat, huh?"

Ignoring the round of laughter that erupted from the remaining team members, Spencer quietly followed the two men down the hall and into the study. Three of the four walls were lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves and a marble fireplace took up the fourth. Spencer wanted desperately to scour Rossi's collection of what had to be first edition prints, but his attention remained focused on the Hotchner brothers.

"First of all," Hotch started, "Let's agree to keep this separate from work. When we're at the office, or on a case, you are not dating my sister, and I am not your girlfriend's brother. I am your Unit Chief, and you are an agent. Understood?"

Spencer nodded. "Of course."

"Good," the oldest Hotchner nodded. "For the next few minutes, I'm not your Unit Chief. I'm your girlfriend's older brother. Got it?"

Again, Spencer nodded.

"We know you care about our sister," Sean said, leaning against a solid mahogany desk casually, "But we need to make a few things clear."

Spencer cleared his throat. "Can I just…say something first?"

The brothers glanced at each other before nodding.

"I don't just _care_ about your sister," he told them, "I love her. She is the single most important part of my life. I would never, _ever_ do anything to hurt her."

For a few moments the Hotchners eyed him appraisingly. Spencer felt like this was the moment of truth—either they would accept him and approve of the relationship, or they wouldn't. This moment could very well determine his future with Mia. While he knew she loved him, and he most definitely loved her, he also knew that she cared very deeply about what her brothers' opinion. If they chose not to approve, would her feelings about him change?

"You love her?"

Spencer glanced at Sean. "More than I ever thought possible."

"You are aware that if you ever _do _hurt her, we will be forced to hurt you?"

Spencer nodded, though he wasn't entirely shaken by the threat. He couldn't imagine a situation where he would ever let any harm, emotional or physical, come to Mia. He was quite certain he'd die first.

"Alright then," Sean nodded, grabbing Spencer's hand and shaking it vigorously, "Welcome to the family!"

Spencer smiled as Hotch shook his hand, too. "Thanks, guys. It means a lot that you approve."

As they returned to the living room, where the team members who hadn't gone home yet were chatting quietly, Spencer realized that it really did mean a lot. He'd initially thought that their approval was only important to Mia, that it was their approval that would reinforce her decision to be with him. He now knew, though, that he'd been waiting for their approval just as nervously. Knowing that both Hotchner brothers were on board with their relationship meant he could look to the future. His future with Mia.

_After all_, he thought as Mia leaned into his side when he sat down, _This is the woman I'm going to marry_.

* * *

**A/N: Again, thanks for reading. A sequel is currently in the works. Once school calms down a bit I should be able to start posting. Love you all!**


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